IMPORTS: Before it was suburbia, the Valley...

IMPORTS: Before it was suburbia, the Valley floor was primarily grasslands with only scattered oaks and sycamores, said geography professor Elliot McIntire. Almost all the trees here now were imported from other continents, he said. But you can still find ancient oaks--including a 700-year-old California live oak--at Orcutt Ranch Horticultural Center in West Hills.

STREETSCAPE: Part of the 20-year plan to spruce up Ventura Boulevard includes using trees to give each neighborhood a distinct look. In Sherman Oaks, plans are to alternate shade trees with palms for an urban “skyline effect,” said landscape architect Rick Mayer. . . . But Carol Robinson, designer of the Woodland Hills segment, said palms were on her “do-not-use list.” She opted for tulip trees to convey an informal suburban feel.