Coronado will launch its Arbor Day celebration this year by planting a new Deodar Cedar in the Orange Avenue median. The decision to plant a new tree not only represents Coronado’s commitment to renewing and protecting its urban forest, but also signals its commitment to the Deodar cedar (pictured at left).
The current cedars in the median have been ailing in recent years. According to a survey conducted by city staff: three of the median cedars are dead or dying; six are in are in poor health and not expected to recover. Eleven are in average condition. Only 7 are in above average or excellent condition.
As a result, consideration had been given to replacing the cedars with Afghan Pines. Currently, two pines are growing in the Orange Avenue median. Located at 10th Street and Orange Ave and at RH Dana Place and Orange, the pines are thriving.
But at its meeting on Thursday, the Street Tree Committee voted unanimously keep planting Deodar Cedars as the preferred species for the median, calling them “a significant and endearing part of community’s heritage.”
It also approved the Afghan pines (pictured below) as an alternative, leaving it to the city staff to decide when it would be more appropriate choice. Though there was no evidence presented to support the idea, many believed that the cedar trees exposed to ocean air were more likely to struggle.
“The healthiest trees are across from the library. The rest of the blocks have both healthy and sickly trees,” said Jess Culpeper, the committee’s staff advisor.
He also said that there wasn’t a great deal of difference between the two species. “Deodars grow to 80 feet, Afghan pines to 65 feet or so. The Afghans are denser and shed more needles so they require more maintenance. Both are drought tolerant.”
The committee’s vice-chair Marvin Heinze agreed. “Most don’t notice that there are two different trees out there.”
Efforts to replace the dying trees came at the urging of Coronado MainStreet. After the vote, the organization expressed disappointment in the committee’s decision keep both species.
“We prefer the Deodar cedar,” said Coronado MainStreet Executive Director Rita Sarich.
“The median is a formal garden and the plants in it should be consistent. The deodar cedars have been there for 50 or 60 years they have a beatific and historic legacy.”
The trees were planted in the 1950’s as a memorial to military veterans.
The cedars stared failing five years ago after the city workers preformed a deep cleaning (pictured at left). This had not been done for some time and many trees went into shock and some of those didn’t survive.
While some trees struggled after the cleaning, Culpeper doesn’t think it caused them to fail. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) recommends regular deep cleaning. Instead, he believes that the trouble arose because the deep cleaning had not been done at the recommended intervals. The city now has a policy to inspect the trees annually and prune them as needed.
If the city continues to properly maintain the trees, Sarich believes the trees will flourish and hopes dying cedars are replaced with new cedars “as quickly as possible.”
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Gloria Tierney
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
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