Our Ancient giants
Arbor Day volunteers planted new trees across the country Friday — much as they’ve done for the past 150 years — but Californians celebrated the day six weeks ago, choosing March 7 to dig tree holes, a better fit for our planting season. So in the spirit of Arbor Day, we decided to salute some historic Bay Area trees that Mother Nature herself planted, some centuries ago: Ones that still stand in our own backyards, by our high school football fields and Beaux-Arts city halls; trees that defy expectations and inspire devotion. The Bay Area landscape is as spectacular as any corner of the planet, an area graced with towering redwoods and rolling hills rich with ancient oaks, laurels and buckeye trees. You just need to know where to look.
A tree hollow yawns in the waxy, brownish-red trunk of a majestic Madrone tree as a lone hiker traverses the Bay Ridge Trail at the Saratoga Gap near the Santa Clara-Santa Cruz County line on April 15. Karl Mondon — Staff Photographer
In the southwest corner of Santa Clara County, a “fairy ring” of redwood trees reaches high for the sky in Mount Madonna County Park, encircling the void of its fallen, old-growth parent on Feb 1, 2023. Karl Mondon — Staff Photographer
A bicyclist pedals up the mountain past a large oak tree at Mount Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County. Jose Carlos Fajardo — Staff Photographer
Towering over the west end zone of Saint Francis High School’s football field is the state’s second largest bay laurel tree, seen in September. Master arborist Kevin Carlson says the 85-foot tall tree in Mountain View is between 200 and 300 years old and has a trunk circumference of 421 inches. Karl Mondon — Staff Photographer
Surrounded by the city where this historic oak tree grew, the Jack London Tree found its permanent home next to Oakland City Hall in 1917 where it was dedicated. Originally moved from Mosswood Park, much care has gone into ensuring this living landmark remains healthy. Ray Chavez — Staff Photographer
The Lone Tree, an oak tree, stands at the summit of the Lone Tree Cemetery in Hayward. The cemetery was founded in 1868 after a pair of young Spanish lovers were killed by the girl’s father, an unwilling father-in-law. The couple is buried near the base of The Lone Tree. Ray Chavez — Staff Photographer
Sweet-scented blossoms on a California buckeye tree catch afternoon light in late May. The native tree is prominent throughout the Bay Area and the foothills beyond the Central Valley. Karl Mondon — Staff Photographer
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