Virginia Robinson Gardens’ South African Coral Tree Now Registered as a “California Big Tree”
If you are familiar with the beautiful coral trees that line San Vicente Boulevard from Brentwood (Los Angeles) to the beach cliffs of Santa Monica, you should know that Virginia and Harry Robinson had something to do with it. The Robinsons donated seedlings from their beautiful South African coral tree, which they had originally brought back while abroad on one of their many overseas adventures in the early 1900s.
Over time, this majestic South African coral tree has reached a very mature age and size. “The tree is so big,” states Timothy Lindsay, Superintendent of VRG, “that it now qualifies to be listed with the state of California as a California Big Tree.” The Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute (UFEI) is a state registry that qualifies trees, based on tree size and height. Currently, there are 122 Big Tree listings, and Virginia Robinson Gardens’ South African coral tree is one of them! This spectacular 90+ year-old specimen measures 65 feet high, with a trunk circumference of 184 inches and a crown spread of 80 feet.
Post and Photos by Diane Jenkins
Friends of Robinson Gardens member
the Virginia Robinson Garden | A Growing Obsession
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