Garden.

November / December, 1978

Los Angeles County Department of Arboreta and Botanic Gardens

Proposition 13

EE... THE PASSAGE of Propo-
sition 13 last June, the Depart-
ment of Arboreta and Botanic Gar-
dens was one of several cultural
institutions faced with the loss of
County funding and, as a conse-
quence, the strong possibility of hav-
ing to end its operation. The Chief
Administrative Office had made it
clear that the loss of income result-
ing from the amendment necessi-
tated a budget that could probably
only support “mandated’ depart-
ments such as fire, police, hospitals,
and welfare.

Looking for ways to avoid such a
dire end, the Department came up
with a number of plans intended to
make the gardens at least partially
self-supporting. After much deliber-
ation, a plan was agreed upon that
would institute admission and tram
fees at the Los Angeles State and
County Arboretum, Descanso Gar-
dens, and South Coast Botanic Gar-
den. It was felt that these fees
combined with County funds would
be enough to meet the Department's
already reduced operating expenses.
The fees were introduced on August
1; after a few weeks the indications
were that the plan was going well.
The final budget approved by the
Board of Supervisors for the De-
partment of Arboreta and Botanic
Gardens calls for a 15 percent re-
duction. Added to an 18 percent

budget reduction over the past three
years, the Department has suffered a
33 percent loss in a four-year period.
This loss has been reflected in the
reduction in staff, down from 149.9
positions in 1970 to 108.9 positions
as of September 1, 1978.

There is little doubt of the De-
partment’s need for greater public
and private support, both for the
present and for the future. In the
private sector, greater effort will be
made to attract support from foun-
dations specializing in assisting cul-
tural institutions. Major public sup-
port will come from increased mem-
bership in the citizen-support or-
ganizations: the California Arbor-
etum Foundation, the Descanso Gar-
dens Guild, and the South Coast
Botanic Garden Foundation. For
people thinking of joining one of
these organizations, there is a new
inducement of considerable value
beyond the benefits membership al-
ready brings: each organization now
includes as a membership benefit
unlimited free admission to the gar-
den it supports.

Arcadia Diamond Jubilee

1 75th on Diamond Anniver-
sary of the founding of the City
of Arcadia was celebrated last Sep-
tember 29th and 30th with a variety
of events that included a parade, a
picnic, music by school bands, en-
tertainment, and, as a climax, a gala

ball. A good part of the celebration
took place at the Los Angeles State
and County Arboretum, which in
many aspects was the beginning of
the city.

The observance actually began
Sunday, August 27th, with an eve-
ning symphony concert at the Arbo-
retum. Presented as a benefit for the
Arcadia Diamond Jubilee, the Cali-
fornia Arboretum Foundation, and
the San Gabriel Valley Symphony
Association, the concert had the
flavor of the Boston Pops presenta-
tions under Arthur Fiedler. The San
Gabriel Valley Symphony, under the
direction of Giora Bernstein, was
set up on a platform adjacent to
the Bauer Pool, with the fountain
and the San Gabriel Mountains
serving as a backdrop. Arboretum
gates were opened at six o'clock so
picnickers could enjoy their meals
while being entertained by the Latin
America Performing Arts Ensemble
and the orchestra, which offered a
collection of popular selections, in-
cluding excerpts from top Broadway
musicals featuring soprano soloist
Patti Frost.

On Saturday morning, September
30th, a breakfast was given in the
patio of the Hugo Reid Adobe at-
tended by many of the participants
in the celebration. Colorful decora-
tions added to the early California
atmosphere provided by the adobe
and the historic courtyard. A new
cultivar of Chorisia speciosa was

Regional edition of Garden

LASCA 1

named ‘Arcadia’ by way of perma-
nently honoring the city’s 75th an-
niversary. The trees in this genus,
commonly known as Floss Silk Trees,
are characterized by thorns on the
trunk and a fruit the size of an
avocado that, when ripe, bursts
open revealing a mass of silky kapok.

s. ‘Arcadia, developed at the
pene has large peach-colored
blossoms with yellow centers. Speci-
mens of this cultivar will be planted
on the grounds of the Arcadia City
Hall.

County Fair

© California Arboretum Foun-

dation sponsored two exhibits
at this year’s L.A. County Fair in
Pomona and came away with one
First and one Second Award in the
Flower and Garden Show. The
popular event, which ran from Sep-
tember 15 through October 1, offer-
ed exhibits from all over the state
ranging from such homey projects
as canning, baking, and quilt-mak-
ing to advanced photography and
landscaping.

Mrs. John Grivich, Foundation
trustee and past president, was in
charge of putting together a hanging
basket exhibit that won a First
Award, the fourth in the past four
years. The exhibit featured an as-

sortment of ferns—rabbit’s foot
(Davallia), staghorn (Platycerium),
and maidenhair (Adiantum);

chids — Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Pap-
hiopedilum; and eed aspara-
gus, coleus, and impatien

Students of the Gardening School,
invited to enter for the first time
last year, were invited again and
this time won a Second Award. Un-
der the supervision of Arboretum
education specialist Ron Call, three
first-year students, Lisa Leutheuser,
Beverly Luttrell, and Jean Baines,
labored mightily to landscape a 50-
by 50-foot area. Under the theme
the Arboretum is for People, their
entry duplicated an arboretum in
miniature, complete with fountain,
aquatic pond, and a wide assortment
of plants ranging from the common
privet to the not-so-common plu-
meria.

Arboretum Project at Energy Fair

_ exhibit depicting the indus-
trial potential of the rubber-
bearing shrub guayule proved to be
one of the highlights of a four-day
Energy Fair held September 28
through October 1 at the Los An-
geles Convention Center. George
Hanson, Arboretum plant breeder
and leader of the National Science
Foundation guayule research proj-

Many of the more than 1300 people
attending the concert came early to
enjoy their picnic dinners and social-
ize with their friends before the
program started.

Photo by William Aplin

ect being conducted at the Arbo-
retum, put the exhibit together with
the assisance of members of his re-
search team.

The Energy Fair, which had the
endorsement of state, county, and
city officials plus representatives of
labor, industry, and the scientific
community, offered a variety of
energy-creating devices ranging from
a far-out wind-powered tape re-
corder to more or less conventional
solar heaters.

The guayule exhibit demonstrated
that though it is not quite conven-
tional, at least not yet, it is a long
way from being far-out..

The exhibit contained specimens
of high rubber yield plants, charts
showing the procedures involved in
extracting raw rubber, comparative
samples of rubber from the conven-
tional rubber tree (Hevea brasilien-
sis) and guayule (Parthenium ar-
gentatum )—they look and feel about
the same—and a golfball size piece
of guayule rubber next to a shrub
about a foot and a half high dem-
onstrating the yield expected from
a single plant. The exhibit reflected
the present stage of Dr. Hanson’s
research project which is mainly
concerned with collecting specimens
and seed in Mexico and testing and
isolating plants having the highest
rubber content.

2 LASCA

Christmas At Che Gardens

Descanso Gardens

(y= OF THE Most enjoyable times
of the year to visit the various
gardens is during the Christmas sea-
son. With a theme of the Nine Days
of Christmas, the Descanso Gardens
Guild will present their annual
Christmas Show from December 2nd
through the 10th with December
11th set aside for the handicapped.
A red carpet reception is slated for
the afternoon of December Ist for
Guild members, while the evening
has been set aside for the partici-
pants and special guests.
Chairperson for this outstanding
event of the year, held at the Hos-
pitality House, is Billie Loofbourow.

South Coast
Botanic Gardens

a IN THE GARDEN is spon-
sored by the South Coast Bo-
tanic Garden Foundation and has
as its theme this year, “Christmas
Reflections.” The show will open
on December 3, at 2 p.m. with a
Christmas choral group. There will
be another Christmas music presen-
tation on December 10, at 2 p.m.

e show will be open daily be-
tween December 4 and 10, from
12 noon to 5 p.m. On Wednes-
day, December 6, there will be a
bridge luncheon party, featuring
Christmas table decorations. Coffee
and cookies will be available
throughout the event and the Christ-
mas Gift Shop will be open, featur-
ing items from the craft work shop
of South Coast Botanic Garden

> ae
The annual Christmas Show at Descanso invariably attracts thousands of

visitors during its nine-day run. One reason for its popularity is the multi-
national character of the exhibits and the unusual use of plant material.
The tree in this photo, for example, is decorated with white and _pink-

white camellias.
Photo by William Aplin

LASCA 3

Foundation’s volunteers. Local gar-
den clubs and plant societies will be
staging various aspects of the show
which was visited last year by more
than 3,000 persons. Chairpersons
are Mrs. John Chapa and Mrs. Don-
ald L. Brady. Mrs. Brady is a mem-
ber of the Board of Counselors and
Mrs. Chapa is a member of the
Board of Trustees.

Los Angeles State
And County Arboretum

|HRISTMAS DECORATIONS at the
tu

flower stalk of the Agave americana
decorated with large golden orna-

kinds of foliage with azaleas and
poinsettias grouped below. Besides
the permanent display of orchids in
one of the showcases, the other two
showcases will feature Christmas
decorations made from live plant
material from Arboretum plantings
and from herbs

A Victorian Christmas will be
featured at the Queen Anne Cottage.
Each year, Las Voluntarias decorate
the rooms of the cottage, reflecting
Christmas during that period of time.
The Hugo Reid Adobe and the

all reminiscent of the good old days.
Las Voluntarias responsible for the
decorations are Marilyn Llewellyn,
Carol Overturf, and Margaret Page.

OPEN HOUSE
Queen Anne Cottage
Sunday, December 10

a.m. to 4 p.m.

Although only a few of the furnishings in the Queen Anne Cottage are the As a special Christmas feature,

the public is invite
ed pieces ” the vested family, abe gpa to hy erties ies Fee veimcia Gk dike ilctowie Call.
The ristmas decorations also are faithful to a period in whic - setulae: Iaeeleaue fern thn tay
crafting was ite and buying a string of lights at the local department side

store was unknow

4 LASCA (LASCA continues after page 40)

PLANT PORTRAITS

O AK TREES have long been familiar
to man. In their legends, the
Greeks speak of an oak under which
their chief god was born, calling it
the Tree of Zeus. To us, the tree
would likely be an English Oak.
More than a thousand years ago,
Viking warriors were using the wood
of the oak to build the ships in
which they raided the coasts of
Europe. In early California, Roman
Catholic missions frequently were
built near large stands of native oak
trees for reasons both economic and
esthetic. The Franciscan fathers
presumably considered such sites
ideal because of the relatively even
topography characteristic of oak
woodland and because of the beauty
and shade provided by the trees.
Economically, it was convenient to
have at hand the oak bark they used
for tanning hides and making
leather.

Oak trees historically are symbols
of strength and endurance. For ex-
ample, the adage, “Tall oaks from
little acorns grow,”
anthropomorphic parallel between
the growing of a child into adult-
hood and the development of a
sturdy oak tree from its seed. On
the practical side, it has long been
nown that furniture and utensils
made of oak wood are impressively
durable. During colonial times, oak
planking was used commonly for
house and ship construction on both
the American and European conti-
nents.

By Gary Cromwell

Known botanically by the generic
name Quercus, oaks are members of
the beech family (Fagaceae). Many
of the more than four hundred spe-
cies are deciduous and cold-hardy,
while others are evergreen and
adapted to a warmer environment.
Both hardwood trees and a number
of shrubs are included in the genus.
Most are native to north temperate
regions, although some species grow

in the tropics at high elevations as

> ade

. %

This a

pproximately 75-year-old English oak (Quercus robur) is growing

aw,

~PHyoad

The Majestic Oaks

far south as Colombia and the Malay
Archipelago.

Approximately forty-six species of
oaks are represented in the perma-
nent plantings at the Los Angeles
State and County Arboretum. Of
these, some of the more interesting
ones are the English Oak (Quercus
robur ), associated with Robin Hood
of Sherwood Forest fame (LASCA
Leaves, September 1975); the Holly
Oak (Q. ilex), the toothed leaves of

ee : aa

on the mall in the Arboretum historical section.

Photo by William Aplin

LASCA 5

é ¥ 4 J £
* # o - |

which resemble those of a_ holly
shrub, and whose history dates back
to the establishment of the Vatican
gardens and early Rome; the Ameri-
can White Oak (Q. alba), undoubt-
edly one of the noblest and most
striking trees on the North Ameri-
can continent; the Cork Oak (Q.
suber), which has extraordinarily
thick bark and is the commercial
source of cork; the Spanish Red Oak
(Q. falcata), a tall stately tree na-
tive generally to the southeastern
United States; and the Black
(Q. velutina), a tall tree with glossy
leaves and dark orange fall coloring.
Some may wonder about the word
“live” as applied to oaks. It is gen-
erally understood to have originated
in Virginia where it was applied to
the only oak that remained green

Trunk of the M esa Live Oak (Quercus engelmanii).
The bark is characterized by numerous relatively
narrow ridges and thin grayish scales.

Trunk of the Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia).
The bark may be smooth on younger trees, but with

age it has broad checked ridges and is dark brown

to gray-brown.

all winter, Quercus virginiana or
Virginia Live Oak. Eastern settlers
in California used the same term to
describe another evergreen, Q. agri-
folia or Coast Live Oak, the word
“coast” used to distinguish it from
the Virginia species.
)

considered synonymous with ever-
green. The Virginia Live Oak, by
the way, can be very impressive in
its native locale, reaching a height
of around 70 feet and almost twice

road. There are specimens of
this tree in Sections J-11 and N-8 at
the Arboretum.

ther oaks represented at the
Arboretum and worthy of mention
are Q. rubra, the Red Oak of eastern
North America. It is hardy, large,
and its wood is used in general con-

struction. Q. acutissima, native to
Korea and Japan, is another oak that
grows nearly as broad as it does
high, reaching about 50 feet. It is
popularly called Saw-tooth Oak be-
cause of its finely serrated leaves. An
oak notable for its large leaves is

. dentata or Daimyo Oak, native
to Japan. A deciduous tree that
grows to 80 feet, it has coarse, typi-
cally lobed leaves up to a foot long
and half as wide.

Oak bark varies from brownish to
gray, and it may be either scaly or
fissured. Leaves are alternate and
pinnately-veined. The leaf margins
are variously toothed or lobed and
rarely are entire. Both sexes occur
on the same tree; male flowers are
numerous, small, and occur in long
narrow hanging clusters, or catkins.

6 LASCA

4

far

A pure stand a Mesa Live Oak (Q. engelmanii) on Tallac Knoll at the Arboretum. Natural woodland scenes
like this greeted the Franciscan padres who established the California missions.

Female flowers develop singly
or in many-flowered spikes. Oak
fruits are known as acorns, each nut
being enclosed by a basal cupule
comprised of fused bracts.

The Arboretum includes in its liv-
ing plant collection two of the most
distinctive California native oak spe-
cies. These are the Mesa Live Oak,
Quercus engelmannii, and the Coast
Live Oak, Q. agrifolia. Both species
occur in numerous locations
throughout the Arboretum, and one
of the largest outlying virgin stands
of Engelmann Oak outside of San
Diego County occurs on the south
side of Tallac Knoll. Here the oaks
create a three acre park-like setting,
with a scant understory of grasses
and scattered shrubs. At Descanso
Gardens in La Canada, there are 30
acres of Coast Live Oak trees, in-
cluding perhaps a half-dozen speci-
mens more than two hundred and
fifty years old.

}

gebie\

In its natural range within the
state, the Coast Live Oak occurs in
the Coast Ranges from Sonoma
County (north of San Francisco
south to San Diego County and
Lower California. It is a spreading
tree 30 to 75 feet high, with dark
green, adaxially convex, toothed
leaves and smooth to ridged bark.

The Coast Live Oak has long been
associated with significant historical
events in California. In , Padre
Junipero Serra conducted the first
mass on the Monterey Peninsula be-
neath a large specimen, which lived
on until the 1890s. Collections of
this species sent to Europe in the
18th century were among the first
representatives of arborescent Cali-
fornia plants to cross the Atlantic
Ocean. In the early 1840s, the first
discovery of gold in California
occurred beneath a Coast Live Oak
in Placerita Canyon, near Newhall.
This tree, the Oak of the Golden

ee

Photo by William Aplin

Dream, reputedly is still living.
When war between Mexico and the
United States ended in 1847, the
Treaty of Cahuenga was signed be-
neath a Coast Live Oak in Verdugo
Canyon, in Glendale. This tree has
since been called the Oak of Peace.

Newhall, large stands of Quercus
agrifolia were cut down during the
mid-19th and early 20th centuries
and sold for firewood. Althou
most of the trees were replaced by
exotic plants in Santa Barbara, many

the Newhall specimens stump-
sprouted so that numerous multi-
trunked trees occur in that com-
munity today.

The Mesa Live Oak has a more
restricted natural range than does
the Coast Live Oak. The Mesa Live
Oak inhabits drier foothills, inland
from the coast, from Pasadena east
to San Dimas and south to eastern
San Diego County. It too is a spread-

LASCA 7

ing tree, from 15 to 55 feet tall, with
mostly entire, flat, gray-green leaves
and gray thin-scaly bark

The Coast Live Oak and the Mesa
Live Oak are two of perhaps one
dozen species of native oaks of his-
torical economic value to California
Indians. The Cahuilla Indians of
Southern California, among others,
used acorns for making bread and
mush, and they called their acorn
food Weewish. Many of the groups
who ate acorns preferred the more
flavorful taste of the fruits of the
Coast Live Oak over those of the
Mesa Live Oak. Indian legends re-
late that the quarreling of medicine
men in ancient times made the once
sweet acorns bitter, and all acorns
thereafter required leaching before
they could be eaten. The tannins in
bark of various oak species were also
used by Indians and Spanish people
in early California to tan animal
skins and for medicinal poultices.

Oaks are valuable forest timber
trees and are useful as street and
park plantings and for home gar-

dens. Some of the low-growing
species are superb for planting on
dry rocky hillsides. Oaks generally
prefer rich, somewhat moist soil, but
our western oaks like good drainage
and can withstand seasonal dry per-
iods. Unfortunately, California’s
native oaks often are susceptible to
attack by oak root-rot fungus (Ar-
millaria mellea) and by representa-
tives of more than four insect orders.
In a natural environment, character-
ized by periodically hot dry spells,
the trees usually can withstand these
pathogens. In urban settings, how-
ever, where improper cultivation
techniques such as _ over-watering
and overfertilizing are too often em-
ployed, the usually present soil
fungi are encouraged to develop ex-
tensively and result either in out-
right death of the trees through root
decay, or in weakening them so that
insects might infest the trees. The
Arboretum advocates following
planned horticultural procedures in
order to preserve for future gener-
ations the many interesting and

beautiful oak specimens growing in
Southern California. A horticultural
sheet entitled “Care of Native Cali-
fornia Oak Trees” is available at the
Arboretum Information Center. This
one-sheet publication covers the
major aspects of preservation and
maintenance of our California oaks.

any people overlook the oak as
an addition to the garden, thinking
they will never see the tree mature;
however, native California oaks
make excellent landscape specimens
and under cultivation may grow
relatively quickly. Quercus agri-
folia may, in a matter of 15 to 20
years, reach a height of 25 or more
feet and a girth of 8 to 10 inches.
Although the native oaks are not
readily available in nurseries, the
ardent gardener who searches dili-
gently likely can find one or more
plants to suit his interest.

Gary Cromwell is a biologist and

plant taxonomist in the Depart-
ment’s Research Division.

LOS ANGELES STATE AND
COUNTY ARBORETUM, Arcadia
NOVEMBER 4, 5—Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Rose and Horticultural Show
Presented by San Gabriel Valley Rose
and Horticultural Society

NOVEMBER 11, 12—Sat, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sun, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Chrysanthemum Show
Presented by Pasadena Horticultural

NOVEMBER 18, mer “ - m. rong p-m.
- p. m.

let ome Show
Prese by Santa / Anita Bonsai Society

NOVEMBER 19—2 p.m.
Sunday Afternoon Talk
3
m Lorman, horticulturist
DECEMBER 9, 10—Sat. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sun, 9 a. m. to 5 p.m.
Camellia Show
Presented by Southern California
Camellia Society

DESCANSO GARDENS, La Canada

NOVEMBER 5—2 p.m
—— Afternoon Talk

George Lewis, superintendent

CALENDAR

NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY

DECEMBER 1—1 p.m
Red Carpet Tea (Invitation)
Presented by Descanso Gardens Guild
DECEMBER 2-10—9:30 a.m, to
:30

dg m. daily
Nine Days of Christm
esented by Tescamah C Gardens Guild
JANUARY <8 Rig hr
Rose ing Demonstration
Presented by Desca:
Pacific Rose Seca

SOUTH COAST BOTANIC
GARDEN, Palos Verdes Peninsula
NOVEMBER 4, 5—Sat, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
African Violet Show

Presented by African Violet Council of
Southern Californi

NOVEMBER 12—10 a.m.
Sunday aoe rg Walk
Aquatic Sect
Edward Husted ass’t. superintendent

NOVEMBER 12—2 p.m
Sunday Afternoon in the Gar
Dried Pine Cone Christmas Wre
uzy Seamans, co-director of yee and
Crafts Workshop
Presented by South Coast Botanic
arden Foundation

DECEMBER 3-10—10 a. igh
4: daily
Holidays i me the Geren nae
Reflection
Prescaded a South Coast Botanic
arden Foundation

JANUARY 7—2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
runing Demonstrati
Presented by South Coast Rose Society

JANUARY 14—1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Fruit Tree Pruning Demonstration

Superintendent Armand Sarinana

JANUARY 26, 27, 28—10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Camellia Show
Presented by South Coast Camellia
Society

8 LASCA