By Rebecca Latta

A farewell ceremony at Sunland-Tujunga Library on January 13 marked the end of the life of a beloved friend to many, a majestic Coast Live Oak tree that stood in front of the library for decades. Its passing was celebrated by a gathering of staff, patrons, and friends, who bid it a fond farewell with speeches and poems recited especially for the occasion by two community poets. The poetic tributes to the tree appear at the end of this article.

For nearly five years, the library and the City of Los Angeles had worked to save the tree. But in spite of their efforts, the oak continued to decline. When the tree was near death, it had to be removed for safety reasons. The sad demise of the nearly 60-foot tree was recorded on January 13 by photographer Gary Leonard:

Why should we care so much about one old oak tree? The library’s tree was estimated to be between 100 and 150 years old, representing our local history. Indigenous peoples once used oaks for food, fuel, and shelter. Spanish explorers noted their numbers and named nearby places after them: “Encino” is Spanish for “live oak,” “los robles” means “valley oak.” Oaks provide homes for songbirds, squirrels and owls. Of course, oaks provide comforting shade. And, they are beautiful. There’s nothing like a magnificent oak to connect us with nature. Children and fond memories grow under such old trees, so it’s natural that we come to love them, and grieve when we lose them.

There’s a happy ending to this oak story. As the old oak was cleared away, its branches were chipped to prepare the ground for three young, healthy Coast Live Oaks that took its place.

Even though the Sunland-Tujunga community treasured their old tree, the three new saplings will grow to be landmarks for those who come after us, bringing the site full circle to delight the next generation.

Oak Care Tips

• A majestic oak in its native habitat prefers undisturbed soil and a thick carpet of its own dropped leaves surrounding its trunk. An oak surrounded by lawn, flower beds or ivy can die from overwatering, fungal disease, damage from mowers and other hazards. Excavating or paving too near the tree can likewise cause an early death by damaging sensitive roots and exposing them to too much heat.
• Though winter is the best time to prune deciduous trees (those that drop their leaves) summer is the best time to prune evergreen live oaks Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak) or Quercus wislizeni (interior live oak.) Live oaks drop a few leaves throughout the year and are never bare. They have adapted over eons to California’s hot, dry summer weather by switching to a slower growth cycle when less water is available. So August and September are the best months to trim your live oaks. Beware of over-pruning. If trimmers overdo it, trees can become stressed, causing them to decline and die. Remember, foliage feeds the tree. Removing too much of it puts the tree on a starvation diet.
• Consult a certified arborist and your city planning department for guidance on tree issues. If you wish to cut limbs from your trees, or grade or build near them, you’ll need a permit. Oaks and certain other tree species are protected by law, so check with your city first. An oak can never regrow a limb lost to a bad cut.
• Oaks are a natural asset. They’re also a valuable community asset. If you’re lucky enough to own oaks, they are your valuable asset, and you are their steward. Oaks add value to your property, provide privacy, offer shade to lower your air conditioning costs—and save water costs since they’re drought-tolerant. You’ll want to take good care of them.

Old Oak of Sunland/Tujunga Library
On the Occasion of Laying the Tree to Rest, Jan. 13, 2020

By Alice Pero ©2020
Published by permission of the author

Old oak, you have watched us long
While we trampled the underbrush
Nearly 100 years
You watched
While we turned forest floors
Into highways and sidewalks
Finding comfort in books
Inside cool walls of cement
And stone

Once you baffled the sun*
With your thick, fertile branches
Your Old Women** friends
Teaching us the prayers of the Tongva
Though they, too, were almost gone
By the time your seed sprouted

We are grateful for your shade
Your outstretched arms
As children ran about under you
Shouting and playing
Feeling spirit spreading grace

We are grateful for the grace
All live oaks give
More than just precious oxygen
Something of an ancient time
When trees were sacred

Now we must now send you back
To the earth from which you came
With hope that the spirit of trees
Remains in your seed

* In 1910, a Los Angeles Times correspondent wrote about Sunland: In the center of town the oaks are so thick that the sun is baffled
** “Tujunga” in the native Tongva language means “the old woman”

 

Library Tree Celebration, 1/13/2020
Sunland-Tujunga Branch Library

 By Pamela Shea, 9^th Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga
Published by permission of the author

Fluttering leaves have bid welcome
To Sunland-Tujunga Library.
Our beloved Coast Live Oak
Has blessed us over a century.

An icon, a landmark,
A beacon, and our friend,
Will live on in memory
Its influence will never end.

Oh dear, beautiful tree,
The time for goodbyes has come.
You’ve adorned our community,
Protecting us from rain and sun.

A sentinel to learning,
You have bridged earth and sky.
Welcoming, inspiring,
Our host and our ally.

Precious one, so majestic,
Standing proudly all these years,
We must now bid you adieu
With our thanks and with our tears.