Fuller Park Is Home to Historic Trees
By Drew Tomasyan
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — It is well known that Napa Valley has many vineyards. After all, wine is what made this area famous. But did you know there is another remarkable collection of plants from all around the world right downtown in Napa? Fuller Park is home to dozens of varieties of trees, both native and exotic.
The distinctive Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) has appeared in literature as well as in the George Harrison song “Beware of Darkness.” The dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is a prehistoric tree that existed during the Cretaceous period, the time of the dinosaurs, and was thought to be extinct. However, a forester in China named T. Kan discovered what he thought was a new tree. A Chinese scientist, Dr. Hu Hsen-Hu, sent specimens to his mentor at Harvard, and he distributed the seeds all over the world. The Fuller Park dawn redwood tree probably resulted from a trip University of California paleontologist Ralph Cheney and San Francisco Chronicle science writer Milton Silverman made to China made in 1948. They returned with seeds to distribute, and the Fuller Park dawn redwood was born.
The bunya-bunya tree (Araucaria bidwillii) is near Seminary Street. You can recognize it by the little fence surrounding it as well as its size, razor-sharp leaves and enormous cones. The fence is in response to the fear of a 15-pound seed cone falling on someone’s head, although that has never happened. The bunya-bunya is native to the Southern Hemisphere. The seeds inside the cones are much bigger than almonds and are a valued source of food for the native people of New Zealand.
Fuller Park, named after Mayor C.H. Fuller, who was mayor at the time of its purchase in 1905, has evolved from farmland to sports fields to a family-oriented park with beautiful plantings. It is a wonderful place to picnic, meet with friends or simply relax by the rose garden. Children climb on playground equipment or practice soccer. Neighbors walk their dogs around the perimeter, and the excited chatter of squirrels looking for acorns can be heard from every corner. However, unlike most parks, when Fuller Park was planted the idea was to create an arboretum of unusual and native tree specimens for the public to enjoy. This vision has become a reality over the years.
Little did the founders of Fuller Park realize that more than a century later it would have so much more value than merely being aesthetically pleasing. This community forest and others like it benefit our planet and its people in so many ways. As the earth gets hotter due to the changing climate, trees play a vital role in reducing the impacts of this change through the absorption of carbon, a major contributor to global warming.
The more mature a tree, the more carbon it can store. For instance, a mature tree can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. This is the equivalent of the output of a vehicle driving for 50 miles. Carbon remains in the tissues of a tree until it is burned or decomposes. Trees also filter out fine particulate matter and ozone from the air, reducing air pollution. In addition, they can soak up pollutants in soil, such as cadmium, chromium and lead, so they purify the soil, as well.
Mature trees create ecosystems in urban areas. They provide habitat and food for birds, mammals and other plants. This, in turn, sustains biodiversity. In cities, vast amounts of concrete and asphalt raise the temperature considerably. This is called the “heat island effect.” Shade provided by trees cools heat islands. Trees also use evapotranspiration, a process in which they absorb water through their roots and cool the surroundings by releasing water vapor through their leaves.
As our climate changes, storms become more frequent and severe. Rain hits the ground at a higher speed when there is a lack of tree cover. A canopy of leaves and branches slows down the rain, allowing it to enter the soil, leading to more water storage in the soil and less runoff, thus mitigating flooding.
There is a social benefit to having trees in urban areas, too. They create public spaces where people can gather, increasing a sense of community. Spending time in green areas around trees can increase a sense of well-being. Trees are a natural barrier to noise pollution, leading to stress reduction and a calming effect.
City trees have an economic benefit, too. They can reduce energy costs by providing shade, thus reducing the need for air conditioning. Trees and green spaces can increase property values for homes and businesses, and planting and maintaining healthy trees also create job opportunities.
Fuller Tree Walk: If you would like to learn more about the park and its trees, the U.C. Master Gardeners of Napa County offer informative walking tours that explain the characteristics of these beautiful trees as well as the history of the park. Tree Walks are done at an easy pace and last one and a half to two hours. There is no charge. They are held on alternate Fridays and Sundays from April through October. The remaining dates this year are June 14, July 21, Aug. 16, Sept. 15 and Oct. 18.
Become a Master Gardener Volunteer: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County is now accepting applications for the class of 2025. Visit the website to read the informational brochure and register to attend a mandatory information session for applicants. Applications are due Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. For more information, visit the website.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description. For best results attach a picture.
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Drew Tomasyan is a UC Master Gardener of Napa County.
You will get a bird's eye view of Fuller Park with a video on UC Master Gardeners of Napa County website. It is lovely and offers a view few of us ever get to see.
Great subject Drew!!! John Hoffman and original Master Gardener wrote a book about the trees many years ago and we did a TV show about them