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Home , Calocedrus, Calocedrus decurrens, Celastraceae, Chamaecyparis, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Cryptomeria

CITY OF SANTA CRUZ Parks Division Leslie Keedy Urban Forester 323 Church Street Santa Cruz, 95060 Telephone (831)420-5246 FAX (831)420-5361

EVERGREEN WALK

(Begin at Southeast entrance of the Cemetery at the site of the Grand Army of the Republic next to the brick stairs)

#1. Coast Live Quercus agrifolia Fagaceae There are a number of specimens seen here. Some were intentionally planted and others are most likely volunteer. C.L.O. is endemic or truly native to coastal Central and . They grow 30-70 feet tall with an equal or greater spread. C.L.O. is a very deep rooted tree with value for native landscape and street tree applications. Avoid summer water and lawn settings if possible. The tree is but will shed all of its previous year’s in the early spring. The tree is susceptible to California Oak and can be defoliated by the moth but will return typically to its normal level of vigor as this is a symbiotic relationship.

#2. Big Acer macrophyllum Aceraceae There are a number of big Leaf located here in the cemetery. These are native to our area; some were planted while others are offspring from the older trees. They naturally grow in riparian corridors and in moist areas from southern Alaska to the foothills of California. This tree grows 30-70 feet tall and almost as wide. It is too large for most urban yards and too big for use as a street tree. This of maple has spectacular yellow fall color.

#3. Myrtle Myrtus communis Myrtaceae This is native to the Mediterranean and tolerant of many soil conditions. Most commonly it is planted as a hedge or small tree growing over time to a height of 15-20 feet. The and leaves have a pleasant smell. Myrtles require very little care and are perfect for use in areas that receive low maintenance.

(Left on the first main path with the RR ties)

#4. Deodar Cedar deodara Pinaceae Deodar Cedars are true cedars. True Cedars bear needles in clusters and the cones are scale like and whorled around a spiky core that persists on the tree. Deodars are also commonly referred to as California Christmas trees as they grow very well in many parts of California. They are native to the Himalayas and grow rapidly to about 80 feet tall. There are many different varieties with different shades of foliage and shapes. We will see a number of these species growing here in the Cemetery.

(Turn right; proceed down the walking path in front of this Deodar Cedar to the tall Incense Cedar tree)

#5. Incense Cedar decurrens Incense Cedar is not a true cedar. They are in different families and totally different despite the fact that they are both commonly named Cedars. Incense Cedars are native to the mountains of central and southern , California and western reaches of Nevada and portions of northern Baja California. The tree foliage & is highly fragrant and is used to deter insects. It forms a formal pyramidal shape growing to 90 feet tall. These trees are very adapted to hot dry climates. It has flat leaves, red and funny shaped cones that look like the bill of a duck with a large tongue.

(Turn right at the Incense Cedar to the next tree the )

#6. Japanese Cedar Cryptomeria japonica . This tree is endemic to Japan; there it is called “Sugi”. Sugi is the national tree of Japan. In Japan they are commonly planted around temples and shrines and planted as commemorative trees associated with funerals. Cryptomeria can grow very large in height to about 200 feet tall. The trunk can also grow very large to about 12 feet in diameter. It resembles the redwood but the bark is smoother and the cones are very different. Redwoods are related to Cryptomeria and are in the same . This picture was taken at the Civic, there are a few specimens located here at Evergreen as we will see. These are old trees evolutionarily speaking that can be traced back to very ancient geological epochs.

( Left on the first path parallel to Evergreen Street)

#7. Arizona arizonica Cupressaceae These Cypress are a true cypress and is native to central Arizona. Their foliage ranges in shades from silver gray to green. It has typical shaped cypress cones that resemble our native Monterey Cypress but the tree grows much smaller and is better adapted to arid climates and low water conditions

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#8. Mourning Cypress Funeral / Graveyard Cypress funebris Cupressaceae. This species of false cypress is native to and . It is a medium size Chamaecyparis to 40 feet or so in our area. A very rare tree, the only specimens in our Community to my knowledge, we are luck to have these in our Cemetery and it was quite a find as this was undoubtedly planted because of its common name and historic association to grave sites. Oldest specimens date back 800 years or so. Mourning Cypress was planted historically in association with burials and as commemorative trees. Funebris is the Latin expression for absolute darkness and death.

(Proceed down the path towards Harvey West Park and turn left onto the paved path at the Russell grave sites)

#9. Japanese Celastraceae These Euonymus are native to China Japan & Korea. They are evergreen typically and are rarely used as small trees. This specimen is quite old. This cultivated variety is variegated. Variegation is a controlled virus in the leaf that discolors the leaf but does not impact plant health. This variety appears to be ‘aureo- variegatus’ which implies that it is variegated and gold in color.

#10. Port Orford Cedar Cupressaceae These trees are a false cypress and have beautiful almost -like leaves and a pyramidal shape that is drooping in form. These trees are very beautiful. Despite their beauty they are difficult to find in the nursery trade and not well adapted to all settings. We are fortunate that they grow well here in Santa Cruz and in our local mountains. They are timber trees in the North West and native to western . Chamaecyparis are sometimes mistaken for thuga or but most Chamaecyparis have white lines on the underside of their leaves. Trees can reach heights of 100 to 150 feet in the wild.

(Proceed up the main paved path to the Heath grave site)

#11. Mock Orange Philadelphus coronarius Hydrangeaceae These fragrant old favorites are grown for their sweet smelling flowers. The flowers have four petals and masses of flowers are displayed in late spring. This species is native to Europe. They are commonly planted as background as they are not very showy but the smell is wonderful. They mound themselves to a height and width of about 10 feet. The aroma of the Mock Orange will fill the air near these grave sites with a sweet citrusy smell.

#12. California Bay Laurel Umbellularia californica Lauraceae These trees are native to southwestern Oregon and the California coastal foothills. They grow rapidly to 75 ‘and have an even wider spread. The leaves can be used for cooking but they have a stronger taste. They are a better tree than a landscape tree as they are prone to aphids and scale insects leading to sooty mold. They also are a known host for Sudden Oak Death however this pathogen does not kill them. They also are a home to the Artist Conk, or the shelf Ganoderma.

(Return back to the main path that runs parallel to Evergreen Street, turn left at the Russell grave site and walk toward the entrance of Harvey West park)

#13. Eastern Arborvitae, Northern White Cedar occidentalis Cupressaceae Native to eastern , many cultivated varieties are grown in the trade but uncommonly planted and rare to see. Not a true cedar and more closely related to the Oriental Arborvitae that we will see here as well (Platycladus) but the cones are very different.

#14. Belle of Rose Rosa spp. Rosaceae This rose is an old fashioned favorite and has been planted for hundreds of years in gardens throughout Europe. This climbing large flowering rose has almost naturalized in California and grows well with very little care. It has very large fragrant blossoms that bloom almost year round. It is planted popularly in cemeteries for their fragrance and because they are tolerant of a wide range of soil types and conditions.

#15. Coast Redwood sempervirens Taxodiaceae Our prized Native, its endemic distribution is a 450-mile strip along the Pacific Coast of North America, beginning in southern Oregon and ending just south of Monterey to an elevation of 2000 feet. Sequoia -- from the Indian chief , sempervirens -- from the Latin meaning "always green" The coast redwood has only two close relatives; the shorter but more massive giant sequoia ( giganteum) native to California's Mountains. And the deciduous dawn redwood ( glyptostroboides), a veritable midget at 115 feet in height, is found native only in a remote area of central China and planted here as we will see. Redwoods prosper in our mild climate zone, where winter rains and summer fog provide an even temperature and a high level of year-round moisture from fog. The oldest verified redwood tree is at least 2,200 years of age, but foresters believe that some may be much older. The coast redwoods are the tallest living species on . Often they can reach heights of 300-350 feet and diameters of 16-18 feet. More than a dozen trees exceeding 360 feet in height are now growing along the California coast. Redwoods are also renowned for their extremely high volume of standing biomass, in some stands exceeding 3,500 metric tons per hectare.

#16. Chinese Photinia Photinia serratifolia Rosaceae An evergreen that is native to China. This is a very rare species of Photinia closely related to the species that is commonly used as hedges and along road ways with red tips. This species is larger; it has bigger leaves and flowers. As it is in the rose family it is prone to fire blight and powdery mildew. This is the only Chinese Photinia known in Santa Cruz. It is rare to see Photinia in tree form.

#17 Oriental Arborvitea Platyclyadus occidentalis or Thuga orientalis Cupressaceae Another Cypress appearing tree or shrub but not a real Cypress or a false Cypress. It is related by family. The common name 'arborvitae' is from Latin, 'tree of life', and is based on its association with long life and vitality in Buddhist thought in China. It is native to northwestern China and widely naturalized elsewhere in Asia, Korea & Japan as well as parts of & Iran. The cone resembles the cone on the Mourning Cypress but is different upon a close inspection. The cones are very unique, they have little hooked tips. Platy means flat and the cladus refers to the plant’s branching structure in . They hold their unusual round form as they grow.

#18. Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides Taxodeaceae A close relative to our native Coast Redwood but smaller and very different. The foliage and cones appear similar however this tree will loose all its leaves in the winter (deciduous). These trees were thought to be extinct but specimens were found growing in remote areas of China during the 1940s. They are being reintroduced into the trade and for use in landscapes as they are beautiful and well adapted to our area. Santa Cruz has many specimens in parks and in private gardens. They grow rapidly when young and the rate of growth slows as they mature. They grow much smaller than their cousin our redwood, to just over a hundred feet or so. The species is named after the for Chinese Swamp Cypress, since they look like (oides) this tree, and Meta from the Greek, "beyond" or "with" is combined with Sequoia and is used in English to indicate a different concept. A plant’s Latin name will sometimes help guide us through the description of a particular tree. This young tree needs a bit more water but will most likely be fine over time.

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