Skip to main content
Donate

Trees

When people think of Los Angeles they always picture Palm Trees. Palm Trees are an invasive species, but they are still an important part of Southern California's landscape. Learn all about the city's trees in politics, history, art, sports and even in the entertainment industry.

Trees
Support Provided By
Emparadised: How We 'Improved' Los Angeles With Trees
In the shade of every tree planted, Los Angeles was redeemed from its former possessors.
A pepper tree as seen through the ruins of Mission San Luis Rey in San Diego County. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
When Pepper Trees Shaded the 'Sunny Southland'
Long associated with Southern California's romantic mission past, the pepper tree was once the region's most iconic tree.
joshua-tree-7-29-13-thumb-600x450-56543
What Good Are Joshua Trees?
Is a piece of land better filled with Joshua trees or pavement?
Elysian Parks' Fremont Gate entrance in 1909. Courtesy of the Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Los Angeles Public Library.
The Origins of Elysian Park
Elysian Park, one of L.A.'s oldest parks, exists today because its rugged land was considered worthless.
Pieces of a Tree
Of Trees and Time and Disappearance
My neighbor's Chinese elm endured multiple assaults, ever returning to droop over the sidewalk as shade, annoyance, and a reminder of durability ... until it was gone.
A sycamore tree in South Pasadena in 1886. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
The Sycamores of Southern California: A Brief History
Native to the Los Angeles area, sycamores can grow to massive proportions, inspiring romantic tales and standing as tangible connections to the region's past.
Screen shot 2013-04-23 at 10.28.28 AM-thumb-600x266-49546
Joshua Tree Bloom Due To Climate Change? Not So Fast
I've warned of the danger of human-created climate change since the early 1970s, so you might expect me to be completely on board with this analysis. I'm not.
Andrew Cooper planted this Moreton Bay fig tree in Los Angeles in 1876. By the time of this 1946 photo, the spreading giant was surrounded bya parking lot for a Shell Oil facility.
Majestic Mammoths: A Brief History of L.A.'s Moreton Bay Fig Trees
Spreading giants imported from Australia, Moreton Bay fig trees have become a cherished part of Southern California's arboreal heritage.
campfire-3-20-13-thumb-600x450-47416
Joshua Trees and Family Trees, A Remembrance
I left New York at 22 and hitchhiked west. I awoke one morning in northern Nevada. The emptiness of the desert landscape completely unnerved me. The landscape seemed unadorned and ugly, and yet I could not tear my eyes off the far hills.
Screen shot 2013-03-14 at 10.20.01 PM-thumb-600x389-47188
TED Talk Teaches Us to Disparage the Desert
I've often noticed that many environmentally inclined people dislike deserts. Sometimes it's as benign as a matter of personal preference for where to spend outdoor time. Sometimes it's an actual dismissal of the land's value. Allan Savory takes it eve...
True to Forum: Inglewood, Observed
Walking around an Inglewood landmark after a long time way made me think about the city's mixed past and its still unclear future
A massive oak tree stands in the middle of Orange Grove Avenue in Pasadena, circa 1890. Courtesy of the Photo Collection, Los Angeles Public Library.
The Oak Trees of Southern California: A Brief History
Native to Southern California, the oak tree has been a powerful force in shaping the region's human history.
Show more
Active loading indicator