South Pasadena : Official Tree Selected

Residents may want to brush up on their Latin, especially if they want to go out on a limb for the city’s new official tree.

The City Council Wednesday granted the honorary status to Quercus Lobata X Engelmanii, a rare species of oak indigenous to the San Gabriel Valley.

The more common name is the Engelmann, which would better suit at least two council members who fumbled through the pronunciation of the longer classification.

The council action was prompted by resident Ricki de Kramer, who said it is only fitting that a city with a major thoroughfare called Fair Oaks Avenue honor its heritage trees.

South Pasadena could have simply designated the oak, rather than the Engelmann specifically. But De Kramer said that would have preempted other cities.

“This leaves other oak species to other cities for their official trees,” she said.