UC Davis Central Campus Tree Tour

Turkey Oak

Quercus cerris

Quercus cerris, Turkey oak, is native to South-Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is deciduous (meaning it loses its leaves every year) and can typically grow up to 30-50 feet in urban areas.

Some distinguishing features of the tree include a deeply furrowed dark gray bark, orange marks in bark fissures for mature trees and glossy leaves with triangular lobes. In parts of Europe, the tree is popularly used as an urban tree due to its fast paced growth, which also makes it ideal for harvesting for timber, fuel.

Note that the Turkey oak in the middle of Shields Library is almost as old as the library itself with construction being built around the tree in 1908. This specimen reaches far above its average height of 30-50 feet due to the permeable concrete built around the tree and the fertile Central Valley soil.

Himalayan Cedar

Cedrus deodara

Cedrus deodara, the deodar cedar, has been called the “timber of the gods," growing at a rate of 12-24 inches per year, usually reaching ~50 feet but reaching over 100 feet in its native environment. Native to the Himalayas, Cedrus deodara is the national tree of Pakistan. It can often be found in parks and gardens as its spreading branches offer shady respite.

The bark of this tree is rot resistant, so the wood is used for lumber in its native range. The inner wood of the cedar is useful in many aromatherapy practices such as the cultivation of incense and oil and it also acts as a natural form of bug repellent!

European Field Elm

Ulmus minor

The European field elm is a fast-growing deciduous tree with a rounded crown reaching up to 100 feet tall, originally from Europe, Central Asia and Africa.

This particular tree stands out due to an interesting growth, known as a gall or burl, on its trunk. These growths can be attributed to a hormone disruption response in the tree from various vectors, causing irregular growth patterns. Burl wood is used for furniture because of its captivating grain patterns.

Elms produce samaras, a papery fruit spread via wind dispersal. Ulmus minor is one of a handful of elm species resistant to Dutch elm disease — an invasive fungal pathogen spread by bark beetles that has killed millions of trees across the US since the 1930's.

Valley Oak

Quercus lobata

The valley oak is an endemic species to our region, meaning it is only native in the Central Valley of California! It’s one of the largest oaks in North America, growing to over 100 feet tall and 50 feet wide with an arching, pendulous, canopy. The leaves are lobed and the bark is thick and rigid, somewhat resembling alligator hide.

Valley oaks have strong cultural value to California Indigenous peoples and provide a wide array of habitat benefits. These trees can support over 150 species of butterflies, moths, birds, and more! In fact, most valley oaks found in a natural settings were planted by scrub jays caching the acorns for future use.

Common Fig

Ficus carica

The common fig free (Ficus carica) is a highly drought tolerant tree that produces the only figs eaten by humans. Its unique leaf shape smooth gray bark make it easily identifiable.

When a leaf is removed from the tree, stems will ooze with a latex sap. The sap can cause photodermatitis and has been used for centuries as a topical treatment for various skin conditions such as warts and ringworm. It is a deciduous tree, meaning it loses its leaves each year and grows to be 10-30 ft in size.

European Olive

Olea europaea

The common olive tree (Olea europea) is well known in California as an important agricultural crop that produces both table olives and olive oil. It is an evergreen fruit tree that is native to the Mediterranean, Asia and Africa.

Olives have a distinct gnarled and twisted trunk and can be considered weedy, as birds carry the seed in their gut. The trees range from 20-30 ft in height and can live to be over 500 years old while still producing viable fruit.

Check out UC Davis Olive Center in the Robert Mondavi Institute where faculty members and research specialists conduct research and host educational events on the future of the olive.

 UC Davis Olive Center 

Tree of Heaven

Ailianthus altissima

Ailanthus altissima is a deciduous tree native to parts of northeast Central China and Taiwan. The tree is famously referred to as the “tree of heaven” due to its fast paced growth. It was once used as a landscaping tree due to its toughness and rapid growth, but is now considered one of the weediest trees in the world.

Some distinguishing features of the tree include a smooth and light gray bark, foul-smelling flowers, pinnate leaves and a suckering habit.

Sapphire Dragon Tree

Paulownia kawakamii

Paulowinia kawakamii, or the sapphire dragon tree, is native to Taiwan, eastern China, and Japan. The one you see in front of you is the only one of its kind on university grounds. It blooms lavender flowers during the spring and has large heart-shaped leaves that have a soft hairy texture. Because of the tree’s fast-growing nature, its smooth bark is used for lumber production, wooden furniture, and musical instruments - which is why it was planted next to the Ann E. Pitzer Center for musical arts!

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is listed as a critically endangered species due to native habitat destruction.  

Arboretum Access

Looking to the south, you can get a glimpse of the tree canopy of the Arboretum. A tree lover’s delight, the Arboretum stretches along two miles of the historic channel of Putah Creek and features over 550 kinds of trees from around the world. To reach the Arboretum, continue west along Hutchison Drive, and turn left by the red colonnade between the Music Building and Wright Hall. This will lead you to a trail heading down towards the Arboretum Waterway. 

Camphor Tree

Cinnamomum camphora

The camphor tree is related to your favorite spice cinnamon! It is an broadleaf evergreen tree native to East Asia. When crushed, the leaves have a strong aroma. It’s cultivated for timber, camphor oil and essential oils with insect repellent properties. It produces small white flowers and inedible berry-like fruit. Note this tree's incredible determination to grow, enveloping the pipe as it expands. Camphors were commonly planted as a California street trees but now have a track record of causing pavement issues from aggressive roots, seen here as well. They create a stately dense shade and should be planted in sites with room for its roots to spread.

Learning by Leading Sustainable Horticulture Gardens

This space was converted from a typical sod lawn into a more sustainable landscape fitted with a water-saving irrigation system and low maintenance California natives! This landscape requires 75% less water, maintenence, and fertilizer inputs than a traditional lawn. This effectively reduces fossil fuel inputs and stormwater pollution on campus. The use of California natives also creates critical habitat and food for pollinators!

This sustainable garden was created by the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden's Learning by Leading ^TM  Sustainable Horticulture student interns. This program teaches students skills in garden design, irrigation installation and much more. The Arboretum and Public Garden has a total of nine specialized Learning by Leading programs, including the Urban Tree Stewardship team who created this tour. Check out our website to find ways to get involved! 

Coast Live Oak

Quercus agrifolia

Quercus agrifolia, the coast live oak, is an evergreen oak tree native to California. It is the dominant oak along the coast from Sonoma County to Baja California. Its leaves have a distinctive cup shape with spiny teath. It also has distinctive silvery bark and a beautiful spreading form.

This species is susceptible to sudden oak death, which is caused by an invasive pathogen. Learn more via the link below.

Chinese Hackberry

Celtis sinensis

Celtis sinensis, commonly known as Chinese hackberry, is a common tree planted in Davis. It is a popular attraction for many pollinators, especially butterflies, bees, and moths. This tree typically grows to be around 40-60 feet tall and is native to China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.

This species was commonly planted in Davis due to its adaptability and size. However, on campus many are aging out and being replaced with less weedy and more climate adapted trees.

SLGI Rain Garden

The California Student Leadership in Green Infrastructure (SLGI) students utilize tactical green infrastructure to design, research, and advocate for simple cost effective infrastructure on the UC Davis campus.

This rain garden seamlessly blends into the campus landscape while capturing stormwater runoff from surrounding classrooms, sidewalks, and roadways. This method of stormwater mitigation allows for water to infultrate through the soil to filter and replenish groundwater systems while also providing seasonal irrigation to surrounding native species!

Bunya Pine

Araucaria bidwillii

Araucaria bidwillii is an ancient species of conifer commonly known as the Bunya Bunya tree. This tree is native to Queensland and Australia and can grow to be over 200 feet tall. It is evergreen with wide-sweeping branches armored with spiky leaves. The tree earned the name monkey puzzle tree due to the sharp spikes along the trunk and branches.  

The male cones are small and cylindrical and the female cones are known for their large pineapple size which can weigh anywhere from 10-20 pounds. Beware! These cones can drop without warning, leaving marks in the ground below. See if you can spot any cones on the ground or high in the canopy. 

Texas Tree Trials

Near the hustle and bustle of central campus is Storer Mall, located West of the Main Quad and peppered with 29 trees planted as part of the Arboretum and Public Garden's Texas Tree Trials.

This planting plan was designed by the Learning by Leading Urban Tree Stewardship team! The team hosted a community volunteer planting day and is now caring for the trees as part of their research project. The team is currently assessing the trees for their drought and climate tolerance and will share results and promising species for urban landscapes with the public. Watch these trees grow and learn more about this research below.

Chinese Pistache

Pistacia chinensis

The Chinese pistache is a tree known for its vibrant yellow and orange fall foliage and ornamental red and blue fruits. It is commonly grown in urban spaces because of this and its tolerance of constricted root space and low water usage. It has a rounded shape with deciduous foliage, reaching heights up to 40 feet.

London Plane Tree

Platanus x hispanica

Platanus × hispanica, London plane tree, is a hybrid of the American sycamore and the oriental plane tree. It typically grows between 50-100 feet tall and has distinctive white mottled, exfoliating bark and large, maple-like leaves.

It is widely planted in urban temperate climates worldwide due to its resilience and adaptability. It is tolerant of pollutants such as smog and dust, compacted soils and other urban challenges. However, it also drops small branches and large leaves!

Canary Island Pine

Pinus canariensis

The Canary Island pine is the mostly commonly cultivated pine in California. Their cones are stout and thick, growing to 6 inches in length. This tree can grow up to nearly 200 feet but averages around 60-80 ft in urban settings. This conifer has a straight trunk, open crown and somewhat pendulous branches. The bark is thick, scaly, and red-brown. The needles come is bundles of 3 and are 6-11 inches long. In the Canary Islands, this tree grows in the cloud forest belt, with relatively high rainfall and lots of fog- does this environment describe Davis? 

Texas Red Oak

Quercus buckleyi

Quercus buckleyi, Texas red oak, is a tree species native to Central Texas and Oklahoma. This species is higly adaptable with a low need for water and tolerance of alkaline soils and high temperatures.

In its native habitat, the tree will typically grow up to heights of 50 feet tall. Some distinguishing features of the Texas red oak include smooth, dark gray bark and dark green lobed leaves that give a beautiful red show in the fall.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba is regarded as one of the most distinct and beautiful trees, with an interesting history to boot. Native to China, the ginko is the only surviving member of an ancient order of plants known as Gingkoales. It is more closely related to conifers than to the deciduous trees it resembles. This "living fossil" displays unique fan-shaped leaves and dates back to 270 million years ago! It is widely considered extinct in the wild but is commonly planted as a street tree throughout the world because of its adaptability to the trials of urban landscapes.

Many people prefer to plant male ginkgos, as the fruit from female trees emits a stench often compared to dirty socks. However, the fruit has important cultural uses and is cultivated for medicinal purposes. As the seasons change, these unique leaves display a fabulous show of vibrant yellow before dropping.

Landscape Lab GATEway Garden

This hidden oasis is located in the Hunt Hall courtyard, serving as a living labratory for landscape architecture students! To date, students have created covered bike parking, pergolas, rain-water catchments and benches made from redwoods grown on campus.

Future students will continue to build upon existing structures, highlighting the continued use of sustainable materials, native plants and environmentally friendly building techniques! Check out other GATEway gardens found across the UC Davis campus.

Cork Oak

Quercus suber

The cork oak is an evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and north Africa, well adapted to climates similar to Davis. With special skill, the cork can be harvested from the bark without harming the tree! The cork can first be harvested around 25 years old, and then every 9 years after that. Managed cork oak forests in the Mediterranean region support a diverse amount of native and endangered species. Portugal is the largest cork- producing country in the world. If you can't get enough oaks, we encourage you to check out our nationally renowned Shields Oak Grove in the Arboretum or put your ID skills to the test and see if you can spot some spectacular mature (never harvested) cork oaks on the Quad. Many of these oaks were planted during WWII to create a homegrown source of cork needed for life jackets.

Southern Magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora

Magnolia grandiflora, southern magnolia, is widely planted across California and around the world as an ornamental tree street, park, and garden tree. Native to the southeastern United States, it comes from an ancient lineage of trees that has been around since the age of dinosaurs!

It blooms huge, fragrant white flowers during May to June and bears distinctive fruit with fleshy, scarlet seeds. It can reach a maximum height of 80 feet and prefers space to spread.