Oak Trees in Rossmoor
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Magnificent oak trees can be found all over Rossmoor. The heritage oaks in Dollar Park and near the Buckeye tennis courts are spectacular. Most of the large oaks in Dollar Park are tall, branching Valley Oaks. There are many Coast Live Oaks too, with one majestic tree gracing the area with its spreading canopy.
Worshipped by the Celtics as a sacred tree, oak trees are symbols of wisdom, strength, and endurance. They are known as a “keystone species” as they form the foundation of the ecosystem, supporting the life of numerous plants, insects, birds, mammals, and people. Colorful acorn woodpeckers can be seen in Dollar Park, nesting and storing their acorns in holes in the trunk and branches of the oak trees.
Valley Oaks, native to the hot, interior valleys of California, are the largest of the North American oaks and known as the “Monarch of Oaks”. Reaching almost a 100 feet, they can live for centuries, 150 - 300 years or longer. The Coast Live Oak is also native to California and can often live over 250 years.
Oak trees ae climate change champions. They capture and store carbon dioxide (sequester) in their leaves, branches, trunk and extensive root system. The Coast Live oak is the most efficient of all trees at capturing large amounts of carbon dioxide. The larger the tree, the more carbon it can store. Like all trees, oaks also remove air pollution and purify the air, provide shade and cooling, and capture and store water in the soil.
Understanding the key role oak trees play in combatting climate change is vital for a sustainable future. We have a responsibility to preserve and take special care of our Rossmoor oaks.
Photo: Towering Valley Oak in winter in Entry 2 Ptarmigan Drive