FROM THE GROUND UP

LESLIE CRAWFORD The national Arbor Day Foundation has named Coronado a “Tree City USA” every year since 1984, one of 3,652 cities across the country recognized for their urban forests.

Green streets

Residents can help Coronado’s urban forest grow by planting trees in parkways

By NANCY NYGARD

Though many visitors swoon over Coronado’s wide beaches and expansive bay views, there’s another attribute that sets our city apart: the diverse urban forest.

Coronado has been selected as a “Tree City USA” every year since 1984. The title is given by the national Arbor Day Foundation signifying a city’s commitment to progressive urban forestry practices.

According to the city’s 2016 Street Tree Master Plan, more than 9,000 trees encompassing 146 species grow on cityowned property, including parks, the municipal golf course and, most prominently, the strips of land between sidewalks and streets known as parkways. (Some may refer to these areas as curbscapes, boulevards, greenways, verges or even hell strips, but this article will use the term parkways to mirror the city’s word choice.)

Coronado wasn’t always home to thousands of trees. Though once dotted with native scrub oak, sumac and willows, Crown City was completely cleared of its native vegetation in the 1880s after developers acquired the island.

Coronado’s first tree project was in 1886. Orange trees were planted in Orange Avenue’s center median in an attempt to entice buyers to the barren new community. The prolific local jackrabbits welcomed the trees by eating them, and the remnants of Coronado’s first street trees were removed.

More than a century later, ravenous jackrabbits are no longer a threat. Orange Avenue’s median is verdant, and parkway trees can now be found on every block.

Why are street trees so important?

LESLIE CRAWFORD PHOTOS

The city’s parkways, strips of land between the street and the sidewalk, allow for planting trees, such as the gold medallion tree (top) and the red flowering gum (above). Tree virtues include improved air quality, sound abatement, energy conservation and homes for wildlife. Parkway trees also create beauty by adding a ribbon of color and texture along streets, linking residents to the greater environment.

Residents can add to the treescape. Fall is an excellent time to plant a tree in Coronado as winter rains will help establish the roots prior to spring growth.

But before planting parkway trees, homeowners need to review the city’s street tree web page (coronado.ca.us/331/ street-tree-information).

Because parkways are city-owned property, homeowners must file a request to plant a street tree and select from the list of approved species. All trees planted in the parkway must either be planted by city staff, through a city sponsored tree planting event or by a contractor with a city tree planting permit.

The city’s approved street tree list has 21 species. These trees have been selected for their noninvasive root systems and climate suitability, according to Art Valdivia, Coronado’s public services supervisor. A separate experimental street tree list contains eight species, which the city arborist may need to approve before planting.

Are you ready to do your part for a cleaner, quieter, cooler Coronado? Plant a tree as a long-term contribution to the city that will last beyond your lifetime.

Remember, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second-best time is now. ■

Nancy Nygard is a freelance writer.

RECOMMENDED PLANTINGS

If you’re are thinking of adding to Coronado’s tree population, here are a few notable species from the city’s list worth considering:

Strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’) • Medium-sized evergreen that resembles a madrone • Attractive sculptural branches with unusual, red-toned bark • Small fruits hang in clusters like dangly earrings • A slow grower, Arbutus ‘Marina’ also makes a great potted patio tree.

Australian willow (Geijera parviflora) • Once established, an extremely drought-tolerant, low-care tree • Long, narrow medium-green leaves that respond to the slightest breeze • An excellent replacement for a California pepper tree, which has very invasive roots • Peppermint tree (Agonis flexuosa) is another nondeciduous tree with similar qualities.

Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) • A true Southern California native tree • The only California oak that thrives in a coastal environment • Medium-growing, nondeciduous with holly-like leaves • Once established, needs no summer water • Added bonus: a food source for the distinctive California sister butterfly.

Desert Museum palo verde (Parkinsonia) • If you’ve spent time in Arizona, you’ve seen these beauties • Excellent fast-growing choice for Spanish-style homes • Long thin, lime-green leaves divided into tiny leaflets • Lacy scrim-like canopy, no thorns, smooth green bark • Extended flowering season with two months of vibrant yellow blossoms

Pink flowering tabebuia or pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia ‘Ipe’) • A traffic-stopping tree in the early spring when covered with — you guessed it — bright pink flowers (background photo) • A semi-evergreen native to South America, the tree drops its leaves as the flowers erupt, ensuring the tree is never bare • Unlike jacarandas, fallen tabebuia flowers are not sticky. • Fun fact: Tabebuias are the national tree of Paraguay. ■ — Nancy Nygard