Trees of Sunnyvale

Chinese elm are native to Asia. Growing to 50'-60' tall it is probably the most-planted elm in the world and  are very common in Sunnyvale.   It is the hardest wood of all the elms and is favored for making chisel handles. Most mature trees have a smooth bark with a mottled pattern.  Chinese elm in Raynor Park, Sunnyvale The single-toothed  leaves  are 1"-2" long and 1" broad, and may remain on the branches as late as December  Where to find them:  There is a long ro w of Chinese elms in Raynor Park just behind the Recreation Building and surrounding the round “skateboard bowl” (a former fountain structure?). There is also a row of Chinese elms in Ortega Park near the Emperor Way parking lot. They are also very common along San Aleso Ave and Floyd Ave.

One of the most impressive trees in Sunnyvale is the huge valley oak below located in Murphy Park.  According to Wikipedia, i n 1792, the English explorer  George Vancouver  noted on his expedition through the  Santa Clara Valley , after seeing an expanse of valley oaks: " For about twenty miles it could only be compared to a park which had originally been closely planted with the true old English oak; the underwood, that had probably attended its early growth, had the appearance of having been cleared away and left the stately lords of the forest in complete possession of the soil which was covered with luxuriant foliage. " Murphy Park, E. California Ave, 260 N. Sunnyvale, CA Valley oaks (Quercus lobata) are endemic to California and are the largest of the North American oak trees. Mature trees may grow to 600 years old.  Valley oak leaves are 2–4" long, roundly-shaped and deeply lobed. The leaf width is approximately one half its length. The top of the leaves are matte

Central and northern California is home to many oak trees. The most common oak tree in Sunnyvale is the Holly Oak ( Quercus ilex ). Holly oaks  are named because the small, dark green leaves resemble holly. Mature trees can grow to 70' tall. It is a very hard wood that can support a very large, dense canopy. They are originally from low elevations in the Mediterranean, so they are well-adapted to the climate in Santa Clara County (Zone 9b). In Europe it is often grown into a very dense hedge. 919 Kennard Way, Sunnyvale, CA The leaves are very variable in shape. They are usually  narrow oval or ovate-lanceolate* , 2"-3" long, 1" wide, rounded or broadly tapered at the base. The edges of the leaves are sometimes  remotely toothed. Acorns are only 1/2" in diameter.  * Lanceolate means it is shaped like a lance: it tapers from a rounded base to a pointed tip. Where to find them:  Holly oak are very common in Sunnyvale.  Some examples of big populations of Holly oak

The Fan Texas (Fan-Tex) ash is a species of American ash native to Texas. The proper name is Fraxinus v. 'Rio Grande'. They are popular ornamental trees because of their drought tolerance and pollution tolerance. Over the past ten years Sunnyvale has planted many new Fan-Texas ash trees to replace older or damaged trees. Youn g Fan Texas ash trees grow very fast and require pruning within the first five years to prevent them from growing into a huge mess of branches. The Fan-Tex ash grows to 35' tall.  1616 Nightingale Ave, Sunnyvale, CA The leaves are 4-10" long, pinnately compound with three, five or seven leaflets 1.5"-2" long. The leaves are shaped like a traditional maple leaf with a finely serrated margin. Where to find them:  Nightingale and Teal (between Dunford and Lillick) have the most Fan-Tex ash trees in Birdland. There are also many Fan-Tex ash trees along Lakebird and Lakehaven in the Lakewood Village neighborhood, and Lewiston Dr near Serra Pa

The bark of the cork oak, Quercus suber, is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and cork flooring. These trees are very drought tolerant, which makes them desirable for warm climates such as Santa Clara County. They are native to the Mediterranean region and can easily grow to 100 or 200 years old. Carlisle Way across from Lillian Ave, Sunnyvale, CA right next to the edge of Panama Park. The fence behind this tree is for the Sprint cell phone tower (which is designed to look like atlas cedar). Below is a close-up of the bark which gives the cork oak its namesake. This photograph does not give a good idea of the scale of bark. You really need to search out a real cork oak and see the bark for yourself. Where to find them:  Cork oak trees are common in Sunnyvale, especially along W. Remington Dr between S. Mary and Hollenbeck, Finch Way (north of Inverness), and Duncardine Way.

The ornamental pear is also known as a Callery pear or Bradford pear. Unlike a regular pear tree, which bears large edible fruit, the callery pear has very small woody fruit that are eaten by birds. The small fruit make it easy for cities to plant as public trees. This hybrid plant was developed in the 1950's as a solution to "fire blight", and given official status by the Department of Agriculture in 1964. Ornamental pear trees grow to 25' tall. They are resistant to disease, but they’re vulnerable storm damage due to their rapid growth rate. About fifteen years ago two ornamental pear trees on Nightingale Ave fell over after a strong winter storm. A few months later a third callery pear on the same street was removed by the city because the trunk was beginning to rot. Because of their structural weakness, Callery pears have been legally banned from sale in Ohio. In Oct 2021 they will also be banned from sale in South Carolina. This article from the Greenville (SC) P

African fern pines are conifers with long, narrow leaves that create an airy, fern-like appearance. They grow from a single upright trunk forming a dense canopy. They are native to eastern Africa and can grow up 60 feet. The seeds are released in small, round juicy fruit that can become messy if they are not cleaned up. In the wild the primary mode of spreading seeds are bats.  1647 Kennard Way, Sunnyvale, CA Below is a close-up of the soft, needle-like leaves. Where to find them:  Lori Ave, Kennard Way and Fort Laramie Drive.

The deodar cedar is large evergreen conifer native to the Himalayas.  Deodar cedars have the appearance of Christmas trees. They are sometimes known as "California Christmas trees". According to Wikipedia, the name "deodar"  derives from the  Sanskrit  term  devadāru , which means "wood of the gods", a compound of  deva  "god" and  dāru  "wood and tree" Northeast corner of Panama Park, near the corner of Carlisle Way and Lillian Ave. Sunnyvale, CA Here is a closeup of the deodar cedar needles. Needles are 1"-2" long in clusters of 20-30  Where to find them:  There are many deodar cedars along Sonora Ct. and Kitimat Pl. They are also some deodars in Raynor Park and around the Sunnyvale Soccer Complex and Silicon Valley Academy at the corner of Dunford and Teal.

The fourth most common street tree in Sunnyvale is the Maidenhar ( Gingko balboa ) tree, commonly known as the gingko.  Ginkgo is a “living fossil” because it has not changed in the past 270 million years. It is the oldest tree species in the world ( Wikipedia ). It is only found in the wild in China but has been cultivated across the world. Some specimens in China are believed to be over 2,000 years old. Ginkgo biloba is dioecious (they have separate sexes). The male trees are highly allergenic, while the female plants are not. The leaves are fan-shaped with  veins radiating out into the fan blade. In the fall the leaves turns a brilliant yellow. Inverness at the corner of Nightingale Ave. Sunnyvale, CA The leaves are fan-shaped, usually 2"-4" long. Where to find them:    Gingkos are very common along Sunnyvale streets. Some examples can be found on Helena Dr, Ontario Dr and Quail Rd between Dunford and Homestead.

The third most common street tree in Sunnyvale is the Chinese pistache ( Pistacia chinesis ). The Chinese pistache is native to China. It thrives in full sun, is pest and disease resistant, tolerates poor soil, and creates fiery red and orange colors in the fall. Once they mature they are also drought tolerant.  Nightingale Ave and Leighton Way, Sunnyvale, CA The leaves are  alternate,  pinnate (i.e. pairs are arranged across a common axis) , approximately 1" long, with 10 or 12 leaflets. When this photograph was taken in early July, the light green stony fruit (drupes) were visible (center of the photograph). Each drupe contains one seed. Where to find them: Chinese pistache are very common in Sunnyvale. Some examples of Sunnyvale streets with lots of Chinese pistache include Lorne Way, Parrot Ave, Flamingo Way, West Knickerbocker Drive, and Mango Ave.

The second most common street tree in Sunnyvale is the Sweetgum ( Liquidamber styraciflua ), also known simply as liquid amber. Sweetgum are tall, shady trees with five-pointed star-shaped leaves (similar to maple leaves) and hard, spiked fruits. These trees were very popular in the Bay Area in the mid to late 20th century because they grow quickly and are both drought resistant and disease resistant. Unfortunately, the spiked fruits are a hazard to pedestrians. And it’s almost impossible to push a baby stroller over liquid amber fruits. In dry climates, such as Santa Clara County, when the trees become mature the strong roots cause expensive damage to sidewalks.  Many cities have long-term urban forestry plans to gradually replace all sweetgum trees with an alternate species. Raynor Park along Partridge Ave, Sunnyvale, CA The leaves are palmately-lobed (i.e. the lobes radiate around a common point) and consist of 3-7 lobes up to 5"-7" wide. Where to find them:  Some examples

I'll start this blog with the most common street tree in Sunnyvale: the Southern magnolia. Southern magnolias make up 12% of the city street trees in Sunnyvale. I don't really care of them, but many people love them. They can be identified by their large waxy leaves and large white flowers. They are native to the southwest United States. I think they look out-of-place in the drier California climate. They require a lot of water, so most California urban tree plans call for replacing them with trees that are better-suited to this climate. 993 Glenbar Ave, Sunnyvale, CA Magnolia leaves are dark green and up to 7" long and have a waxy surface. The huge white flowers grow up to 12" long. Where to find them:  Southern magnolia are everywhere. Streets that are dominated by Southern magnolia include Wolfe Rd, Iris Ave, Sweetbay Dr, Hollenbeck Ave and S. Mary Ave.