Treasure-Trove of Trees : New Book Will Chronicle the County’s Rarest, Largest, Most Unusual and Historical

Bea Kight-Herbst stood under a tree on the campus of Fullerton College that was flowering in brilliant red.

“This is one of the beautiful and unusual trees in Orange County,” she said.

That pleasing uniqueness has earned the Judas tree a place in a book that Kight-Herbst hopes will share the same qualities.

The book will document 100 of the most rare, unusual and historical trees in the county. The Tree Society of Orange County plans to publish it next year.

“This project will help people who are already aware of trees in the county to appreciate them more,” said Alden Kelley, a tree expert with the society. “For people who are not aware of trees, it will make them aware and appreciative as well.”

Society officials said the book will both memorialize “living history” and, through sales, provide the organization with a permanent source of funding. The price for the book has yet to be determined.

Anyone can nominate a tree considered exceptional for inclusion in the book, and the Tree Society, based at the Fullerton Arboretum, is collecting nominations. Kight-Herbst will pick 100 to be photographed and included.

“I hope to get 200 nominees,” Kight-Herbst said. “Anybody is welcome to nominate a tree. We are looking for rare species and for trees that are unusual because of size, color, blossoms and history.”

Trees do not have to be particularly old, she said, although some of the nominees are believed to be more than 400 years old and relate to Orange County history.

The current nominees range from a giant redwood in Irvine to the brilliantly hued Judas tree in Fullerton that Kight-Herbst was admiring on a recent morning.

The Judas tree is in the courtyard of Fullerton College’s Horticulture Center. Two other nominated trees are also at the college’s Horticulture Center: a towering tipuana tipu tree--a native of Africa--and a prodigiously flowering floss silk tree.

Some trees that have been nominated have long had admirers and have become landmarks. But many other nominees are rare or unusual specimens that have been largely overlooked in rapidly urbanizing Orange County, Kight-Herbst said. Some are native species now threatened with extinction, such as the Tecate cypress in the Gypsum Canyon area, she said.

“The Tecate cypress is one of the trees that we’ll not invite people to go see,” Kight-Herbst said, noting its remote habitat. But most other nominees are in areas easily accessible to the public, and the book will give directions, she said.

Fullerton and Orange have a preponderance of exceptional trees, according to Kight-Herbst. “They’re both old cities, and people planted unusual trees in both cities,” she said. “For instance, there are some rare ginkgo trees on a street here in Fullerton, and these have been nominated and will probably be in the book.”

There are about 200 native species in Orange County and 1,200 to 1,500 non-native species.

“Because of the wonderful Mediterranean climate here, almost anything will grow,” Kight-Herbst said. “Many kinds of trees have been brought in.”

Oddly, no orange trees have yet been nominated. Kight-Herbst said she hopes that local historians will nominate trees, such as native live oaks, that should be memorialized because of their role in county or state history.

“These historical trees are part of our cultural heritage,” said Kight-Herbst. “They provide a sense of continuation.”

Tree Nominees

Here are some of the trees nominated for a forthcoming book on outstanding and unusual trees in Orange County:

Bunya-bunya tree, an evergreen at 1941 Skyline Drive, Fullerton. An uncommon species, the tree is 65 to 75 feet high and about 30 years old.

Stone pine, on Cambridge Street in Orange between Collins and Katella avenues. Size, shape and age make this tree unusual, officials said. It is about 80 years old and is 60 feet tall.

Camphor tree, also on Cambridge Street, near the stone pine. Its condition and shape make it outstanding, officials said. The tree is about 60 years old.

Big-leaf ficus, at West and Sycamore streets in Anaheim. Height and leaf canopy make it outstanding. It is 100 feet tall and has a spread of 275 feet.

Amazon ficus, at Trees Restaurant, 440 Heliotrope Ave., Corona del Mar. The tree is about 70 years old, and its 40-foot height and 185-foot canopy are unusual.

Coastal redwood, at Yale Avenue and Irvine Boulevard in Irvine. Outstanding because of its height and age. The tree is about 100 years old, and it is very unusual because such trees rarely survive this far south.

Several California sycamore trees, at Aliso/Wood Canyons Regional Park in Aliso Viejo. These sycamores are outstanding as “marvelous examples of a native species,” officials said, and at least one of them is believed to be more than 400 years old.

Norfolk Island pine, at the Cottage Restaurant, 308 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. It is considered outstanding because of its size and character.

Source: Tree Society of Orange County