Lose yourself in the sorrowful goodbye to the iconic palm trees of Los Angeles

Lose yourself in the sorrowful goodbye to the iconic palm trees of Los Angeles

In the heart of Southern California, the city of Los Angeles is preparing for a significant change. The city, known for its iconic palm trees, is bidding farewell to some of them as it looks to replace its aging urban forest with trees better suited to withstand the challenges of climate change.

Los Angeles, a city renowned for its resilience and its efforts to build a city for everyone, is focusing on planting trees that offer shade and are resilient over the next 50-60 years. This shift is aimed at maximizing ecological and community health benefits.

Experts recommend prioritizing native and drought-tolerant species such as oaks, sycamores, black walnut, desert willow, African sumac, and Chinese pistache. These trees offer significant ecological benefits, supporting local wildlife, providing shade, and enduring diverse soil types and drought conditions.

Palms, eucalyptus, crape myrtle, and sweet gums, among others, are generally discouraged due to their inadequate shade, invasiveness, or other drawbacks. For instance, sweet gums are invasive, trigger allergies, and drop spiky balls that can be harmful. Eucalyptus trees are invasive below ground and can be dangerous with tiki torches above.

The tree of heaven, a deciduous plant, is another invasive species that crowds out natives, poisons the soil, and can be harmful to dogs. Crape myrtle trees, while popular for their vibrant blooms, do not offer much shade for the space they take up.

Bryan Vejar, a master arborist who directs community forestry for the nonprofit TreePeople, has thoughts on the topic. He emphasizes the importance of trees in Los Angeles, which are considered critical infrastructure, providing health and safety benefits to the community.

The original landscape of Los Angeles was not a forest, but a landscape of scrubby shrubs, chaparral, and grasses. However, over time, the city became a tree zoo, with thousands of trees being planted, many of which were unlikeliest tree cuttings from around the world being adapted and grown there.

Sadly, thousands of these trees have been burned in fires, and thousands more are being affected by disease, drought, and age. Climate change is causing cities to reconsider the types of trees they have, as some trees, such as palms, can be freeloaders that use a lot of water.

Palm trees came to Los Angeles with the missionaries and later as part of the PR sales pitch of Southern California being the "American Mediterranean." However, as the city evolves, so too must its urban forest. The city is being urged to expand its urban tree canopy to mitigate the effects of climate change.

In summary, to replace LA's geriatric urban forest amid climate change, prioritize native and drought-tolerant species such as oaks, sycamores, black walnut, desert willow, African sumac, and Chinese pistache, rather than palms or invasive trees. This shift will not only make Los Angeles greener but also more resilient in the face of a changing climate.

1. In Los Angeles, the city's aging urban forest is being replaced with trees designed to withstand climate change, focusing on planting trees that offer shade and resilience over the next 50-60 years.
2. To maximize ecological and community health benefits, experts recommend planting native and drought-tolerant species such as oaks, sycamores, black walnut, desert willow, African sumac, and Chinese pistache in Los Angeles.
3. Palms, eucalyptus, crape myrtle, and sweet gums, among others, are generally discouraged due to their inadequate shade, invasiveness, or other drawbacks in the city's urban forest.
4. Experts warn about the invasive nature and negative impacts of trees like the tree of heaven, which crowds out natives, poisons the soil, and can be harmful to dogs and crops in Los Angeles.
5. Bryan Vejar, a master arborist, emphasizes the importance of Los Angeles' trees, considered critical infrastructure that provides health and safety benefits to the community.
6. The original landscape of Los Angeles was not a forest, but a landscape of scrubby shrubs, chaparral, and grasses, with the city later becoming a tree zoo filled with thousands of trees from around the world.
7. Thousands of trees in Los Angeles have been burnt in fires, affected by disease, drought, and age, prompting the city to reconsider the types of trees it has, including palms, which use a lot of water.
8. To mitigate the effects of climate change, the city is being urged to expand its urban tree canopy in Los Angeles, prioritizing native and drought-tolerant species over palms or invasive trees.

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