Section 6
23. California Fan Palm
Scientific name: Washingtonia filifera
Provenance: Southern California to southeastern Arizona and northern Baja California
Conservation status: Least Concern
Continue on the looping asphalt path after the Chinotto orange trees. Just in front of the Reyes Adobe on your left are some California fan palms. California fan palms are commonly found near earthquake faults, where depressions in the ground collect water and form sag ponds (can be found near Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley). The palm can grow to around 70 feet (~21 meters) tall with a leaf spread of 10-20 feet (~3-6 meters); an individual leaf can be up to 10 feet (~3 meters) wide. The tree’s canopy supports habitats for many birds and bats. The species is the largest palm that is native to the United States and the only palm that is native to the western United States. California fan palm has a surprising temperature tolerance from 20°F (roughly -6°C) to well over 120°F (roughly 48°C).
24. Dawn Redwood
Scientific name: Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Provenance: China
Conservation status: Endangered
Keep going on the looping path. There will be a grassy area on your left overlooking Baldwin Lake. The dawn redwood will be on the left side of the grassy area. The story of the dawn redwoods at the Los Angeles County Arboretum is a peculiar one. Dawn redwoods were known only to exist from fossils. Two expeditions to Modaoqi, China, in 1946 were able to find and collect material from 22 dawn redwoods. A dawn redwood was acquired by the Los Angeles County Arboretum in 1949 and made into 10 cuttings, which were planted throughout the gardens to grow separate trees. The base of the dawn redwood is almost buttressed in form, with the trunk thinning as height increases (a tapering trunk). The bark, which is a reddish-brown when younger and darker and more fissured when older, exfoliates in long, narrow strips. The dawn redwoods at the Arboretum are dwarfed by specimens in colder parts of the United States, where these trees can be up to 2 to 3 times taller due to the species’ adaptation to cold climates and summer precipitation.
25. Wheel of Fire
Scientific name: Stenocarpus sinuatus
Provenance: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland)
Conservation status: Least Concern
In the same grassy area as the dawn redwood is the wheel of fire. Almost immediately evident in the summer and fall is the mesmerizing arrangement of red and orange flowers contrasting with dark green leaves. The evergreen firewheel tree is adapted to subtropical rainforests and grows well in drought-prone areas like Southern California. The species grows an impressive oval-like canopy and can tolerate a wide soil pH range.