A Ranking of the Different Trees on the Green Music Center Grounds
The Green Music Center is home to many different types of trees. Some are California native and some hail from far regions of the globe.
Today I will be ranking them and providing some information about the flora we have here at the Green Music Center.
*Disclaimer: this is all for fun and is not a representation for how the Green Music Center appreciates our trees. We love all our trees, native, or invasive. All trees at the GMC and Sonoma State campus are all respected and well cared for.
1. Redwoods
Located at various places on the grounds of the GMC; along the path from Weill Hall to Schroeder Hall, the back and side of the lawn, ect
As a California native myself, I see it as my duty to rank the California state tree, the Redwood tree, as number 1. The sequoia sempervirens are native to California. The beautiful evergreen trees grow tall and are incredibly resilient. At the Green Music Center they provide a beautiful outline for our outdoor lawn area. What is there not to love about these California natives?
Here are some fun facts about California Redwood trees:
• They are the tallest trees
• They are evergreen
• They can live for thousands of years and some trees (not ones located on the grounds of he GMC), are as old as the dinosaurs
• They drink the coastal fog (which accounts for 40% of the redwoods moisture intake)
• They are adapted to wildfires.
2. Red Oak
Located next to the stairs on the Schroader side of the lawn
Coming up to number two we have the Red Oak. The quercus rubra is not a California native, but is native to the east coast of the U.S. While this tree is much less grand than others we have on our list, it is an indigenous to the U.S, so it’s going to be high up on this list. As the name suggests, this tree turns a beautiful red color in the fall, another factor adding it high up on our list
Here are some fun facts about Red Oaks:
• They make good firewood and have a high fuel value
• Northern red oak does not live as long as white oak but can live up to 200 to 300 years.
• Northern red oak is the most common species of oak in the northeastern US
• The northern red oak is one of the most important oaks for timber production in North America.
• Red oak acorns, unlike the white oak group, display epigeal dormancy and will not germinate without a minimum of three months’ exposure to temperatures below 40 °F (4 °C).
3. Olive Trees
Located on the left and right hand side in front of Weill Hall
If you have ever attended a concert at Weill Hall, then you are most definitely familiar with our olive trees. The variety on our grounds is Olea europaea var. Europaea and as you may have guessed, they are not native to the U.S. The trees were provided from a local farm in Napa, Heritage Olive Trees, and are 125 years old.
Here are some fun facts about our variety of Olive Trees:
• You can eat the olives from the trees (though we ask you to not pick any olives from our trees)
• Olive oil is produced from this variety
• The average lifespan of an olive tree is 300-600 years
• The oldest certified olive tree is more than 2000 years old
• The olive branch has long been regarded as a symbol for peace. It appears on the national flags of seven nations, four US states and the flag of the United Nations.
4. Cherry Blossom
Located next to the either side of the sidewalk outside Schroder and Weill, and goes down the street to the stoplight
One of the most colorful trees, while in bloom, the Cherry Blossom tree! Prunus serrulata are also not native to California or the U.S and are found in Japan, China, Korea, and Vietnam. They are a bit further down the list since they only bloom for a short amount of time; sometimes they only bloom for about a week! Nevertheless, these beautiful trees will always let you know that spring is just around the corner.
Here are some fun facts about Cherry Blossom trees:
• Cherry blossom petals are edible.
• Amsterdam has 400 individually named cherry blossom trees.
• In Japan it is a tradition to picnic under cherry blossom trees. It is called “hanami,” which means flower viewing and dates abc to the Heian Period (794 to 1185)
• The cherry blossom capital of the world isn’t located in Asia but in Macon, Georgia. Each year it holds the International Cherry Blossom Festival.
• They may only bloom for up to a week, so take pictures while you can!
5. London Plane
Found in the parking lot
Have you ever wondered about the trees that provide shade for your car during summer shows? Well in our parking lot we have the London plane tree. Platanus × acerifolia, Platanus × hispanica, is a hybrid tree. This tree, as you can tell by its name, is not native to the U.S., making it lower on the list. This hybrid was crossbreed with Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) in either Spain or London during the 16th century.
Here are some fun facts about the London Plane:
• Its fruit, which come in a round brown cluster, is not edible to humans
• The name “London Plane Tree” refers to the belief that the tree was first planted and cultivated in London specifically for the city’s metropolitan environments
• It is disease resistant
• It can be cultivated in a large variety of soil types
• The London plane is very tolerant of air pollution
6. Chinese Elm Tree
Found right next to the classrooms and Schroeder hall, alone the sidewalk
The final tree in our ranking is the Chinese Elm tree. Despite the beauty of this tree, Ulmus parvifolia is not native and is certified as an invasive tree; for these reasons it is at the bottom of our list. This tree is native to eastern Asia, including China, India, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Regardless, this tree is beautiful in the springtime with many small leaves adorning its branches.
Here are some fun facts about the Chinese Elm Tree:
• This tree is resistant to Dutch Elm Disease
• The bark of the tree peels off in thin strips, giving it a second name: Lacebark tree
• The bark peeling from this tree helps it to tolerate air pollution as it “clears its pores.”
• It’s a hardwood and excellent for heating
• This tree is a popular choice for beginners to bonsai, the Japanese art of growing and shaping miniature trees in containers
Honorable Mentions
We have a few trees on our grounds which are less prominent than those included on this list. They are less noticeable, but still important to the beauty of the GMC. Here are our honorable mentions:
Magnolia Tree
Located at our southernmost entrance, which we only use during the summer.
We have five of these beautiful flowering trees on our grounds. Magnolia grandiflora L.is not native to California but is not necessarily invasive. This tree is actually a disjunct species, meaning that it has one or two groups that are related, but geographically, they are far apart.
They are native to east and southeast Asia and as well as eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some of South America.
BuckEye (Ohio buckeye, Texas buckeye. fetid buckeye, California and horse chestnut)
Located at several points of the back parking lot
There is a small handful of these trees towards the back of our parking lot. Aesculus glabra is the variety native to southern states and Aesculus californica, is the variety native to California. It has many names and is easily identified with the large nuts resembling deer eyes, giving the tree its vernacular name.
Written by Liza Schoen
Liza Schoen is a 2024 graduate from Sonoma State University, with a B.A in Communications and Media studies with a minor in philosophy. She currently served as the Green Music Center Marketing Student Assistant (2024), as well as an usher (2022-2024) for Green Music Center shows and concerts.
