The Big Tree Park

Duane and I love taking short field trips to places of interest.  This past weekend he told me about a tree he saw while working at Glendora Hospital.  It was across the street, and he thought it was a Carrotwood----one of our favorite trees.  But it wasn't......

 

The tree is in its own little park with a covered picnic area.  I think we will return with a picnic lunch one day.

 

 

It's fascinating to look at, and just imagine what it has witnessed from its planting in 1880.

 

 

I took this photo in the wrong direction, but it says it was planted by Edgar J. Owens.  He imported it from Australia in the 1880's.  It's botanical name is Ficus Macrophy Ila', commonly called the Moreton Bay Fig.

 

 

We had fun climbing around on its massive roots.

 

 

It is 90 feet tall, the branch spread is 110 feet wide, and the trunk is 30 feet in circumference.

 

 

Wouldn't it make a terrific treehouse?

 

 

In any case, it is a magnificent specimen.  I'm pretty sure we saw one like it at the Santa Barbara Mission graveyard a couple of years ago.  We'll have to go back and see....