Ask the Expert Vol 2

In this regular e-newsletter feature, readers are invited to pose questions pertinent to the Park’s grounds, buildings, history, and recreational facilities, which will then be forwarded on to the residing park expert on the subject. For this issue, Crystal Ritchie, Balboa Park’s horticulturist, answers questions on the Park’s flora.

 

Crystal Ritchie: As a matter of fact, just this past Arbor Day (March 11), with the help of the Friends of Balboa Park, Park and Recreation staff planted 21 trees on the corner of Park Blvd. and Zoo Drive. We planted Platanus racemosa, or California Sycamore, and Populus fremontii, or Fremont’s Cottonwood. Both of these trees are a delight to behold in the autumn when the leaves turn a myriad of colors.

Sequoia sempervirens, or Coast Redwood, was also planted in a small grouping. The Coast Redwoods are a hybrid called “Aptos Blue” which is purported to be more adapted to our long warm summers. We planted just three of those, and we will monitor their success. The Coast Redwood is California’s State Tree, and we hope with the introduction of this hybrid, we may be able to replace our older, declining specimens in the future and continue to perpetuate these amazing trees in the Park.

 

Also for the future of the Park, we can turn to the Kate Sessions Nursery, where Mike Rasmusson, nursery supervisor, and his team of nursery gardeners have recently potted up 50 Pinus torreyanas, Torrey Pines, and hundreds of oaks, including Quercus engelmannii, Q. agrifolia, Q. virginiana and Q. suber.

 

They have also recently acquired interesting species new to the Park, like Pseudostuga macrocarpa, or Big Cone Spruce, a large and substantial evergreen tree native to the mountains of Southern California, and Cupressus Montana, or San Pedro Martír cypress, native to Mexico. These trees will eventually be planted in our canyons where our goal is to continue reforesting with rare and unique tree species while focusing on trees which have lower water requirements. The future of Balboa Park begins at the nursery; it is truly the seed of the verdant park forest you see today.