Diseased Orange Trees Replaced by Students

Cal State Northridge’s citrus grove, one of the largest remaining in the San Fernando Valley, received a renewed commitment from caretakers this week as students marked the end of a two-week campaign that replaced 29 diseased orange trees.

After learning in the fall that some trees suffered from extensive root damage and infection, the university’s student government spent $8,500 collected through regular activities fees to buy new disease-resistant Valencia trees.

Several students joined university officials in planting the last tree with gold-plated shovels on a sun-soaked Thursday afternoon.

Citrus trees once dominated the Valley’s northern and western stretches but were cut down to make room for houses in the 1950s. To some, the six-acre, 600-tree grove on the campus, planted in the 1930s, is a reminder of that old landscape.

“We’re really excited about this because of the historic significance,” said junior Robert Hanff, the student association president.

Manfred Lam, a senior and student senator, said the grove is popular among students as a shady place to study, relax and take photographs.

Because the campus is replacing a lawn outside the central library with a massive staircase this spring, green areas like the grove are becoming especially important, he said.

The old trees had come to require extensive care from workers, who had to constantly spray them with pesticides and remove decaying branches, said Hildo Hernandez, the university’s physical plant management director. The new trees will be easier to maintain, he said.