Trees in Paradise: A California History by Jared FarmerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Initial Short Review:
I have eight pages of notes on this book taken while reading, I need to condense that down before providing some notes here. Let's just start by saying I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Covered were iconic California trees, one could says they help define California: Redwoods, Eucalyptus, Citrus and Palm.
Full Review:
Covered were iconic California trees, one could says they help define California: Redwoods, Eucalyptus, Citrus and Palm.
Full Review:
Who knew that a history of California could be told with four types of trees? Well, not entirely, but this book does attempt that and does a great job.
The book is in four parts, one for each type of tree, these are iconic trees of California and each can be “read as individual botanical and cultural histories.”
Part I: Redwoods – ideas of time, history, antiquity, and mortality.
Part II: Eucalyptus – immigration, naturalization, nativeness, and alienness.
Part III: Citrus – labor, industry, replication, and growth.
Park IV: Palms – beauty, fashion, image, and style.
Redwoods, for their longevity and largeness, and covered all that went along with cutting down the forests for the wood. At first people didn’t believe that trees could be so enormous, samples were taken, cuttings of the trunk would be shipped around the world. Now convinced they were horrified at the atrocity of killing the magnificent tree. I saw one of these in the Natural History Museum in London last summer, now I know how it got there. In Yosemite area, the land was sold off to three monopoly companies, two lumber companies and one organization of socialists. The socialists took nearly four years to build a road. Just as they started cutting trees the land was turned into a National Park – now they were illegally there, and the government came and kicked them out.
Eucalyptus, while not native it certainly feels like it in California. They have been around over 100 years; doesn’t that make them native? And so, the discussion naturally moves to immigration, naturalization and being foreign.
No where else but in California do you see Eucalyptus tree lines streets. In other countries the tree represents something, such as in India the trees symbolize colonialism. My Dad planted a row of these in our yard, they make a great wind break and natural division line. (We also had a Redwood tree!)
Citrus, the trees that were part of the food industry mainly oranges, but other citrus fruits as well. The grafting of trees created the Valencia orange practically in my backyard (ages ago, of course). This section was also close to home as I grew up around orange groves that (to my horror) were cut down to make way for more cookie-cutter housing developments. This passage explains well, from page 318 “The literal ‘orange curtain’ that once marked the transition from Los Angeles County to Orange County no longer exists. Today the leading local landmark is probably the Orange Crush – the largest and most complicated freeway interchange in the world.”
Palms, the iconic tree of Hollywood, L.A., really of Southern California. They do feel out of place in areas such as Big Sur where different types of trees dominate. The Mexican Palms are in a type of “invasive species” which will grow up out of the asphalt if left alone. The tree doesn’t provide much shade but does give a certain look. They are also high-maintenance trees and can be costly to city governments which causes more controversy for urban tree development. It is dangerous work to keep the fronds trimmed, and when they aren’t the trees look scraggy and not the image desired. Palms can be easily transported and installed elsewhere and for the larger trees big business for instant large palms in flashy places such as Las Vegas.
I could go on, barely touched the surface here of all that is covered by these four tree types, while barely mentioned all the social history. I listened to the audiobook version while had alongside me the print book, which probably is a better way to read this one. The print book included many photos. Also found only in the print book are many, many pages of notes, an index, a lengthy further reading section (there goes my to read list!), and a listing of all the common and scientific names of many plants and trees. The print book was from the library, now I may have to search to get my own copy.
February 11, 2019 – Started Reading
February 12, 2019 –
page 24
4.05% "this one might take a while too....the focus in on four tree types: Redwoods, Eucalyptus, Citrus and Palms."
February 13, 2019 –
page 35
5.91% "putting on pause for a little while until I can get hold of a print copy to follow with the audio, lots of photos missing out with only audio"
February 15, 2019 – on pause --turned out a very long pause
November 15, 2023 – Started Reading
November 15, 2023 –
page 16
2.7% "returning to this book - listening alongside the print book, many photos! restarted from the beginning as it was too long ago when I read the intro prior."
November 28, 2023 – Shelved as: own-read
November 29, 2023 –
page 16
2.7% "another week and still not reading this...maybe I wasn't ready to tackle this book yet. It's long and daunting. But soon...(or remove from currently reading.)"
December 6, 2023 –
page 16
2.7% "again, another week and still not reading this book. Clearly was not ready to jump into the book just yet."
December 9, 2023 –
page 53
8.95% "finally got back to this book (yesterday) - finished Introduction. started Part I: Redwoods: The Value of Longevity, chapter 1: Twilight of the Giants....some disagreement on the scientific name for redwoods back in the day"
December 13, 2023 –
page 78
13.18% "illegal redwood forested land grabs by monopolists in the mid-1800s, was aimed at individuals, yet largely ignored by the government until the California Redwood Company attempted to sell their holdings to a Scottish group in Edinburgh. Monopoly ok, foreign ownership was not."
December 19, 2023 –
page 78
13.18% "reading this extremely slowly...may take several more months, at least at this rate."
December 26, 2023 –
page 78
13.18% "haven't moved forward on this book, decided to resume in january but keeping it as currently reading for now"
January 19, 2024 –
page 226
38.18% "began Part II: Eucalypts: The taxonomy of belonging - deep into p.ch.03: Immigration and naturalization / mid-way through the (section) Boom and bust. ...planned "crop" of the hardwood blue gum/eucalyptus did not go well at all."
January 25, 2024 –
page 292
49.32% "deep into chapter 04: Natives, Aliens, and (Bio)Diversity.....still discussion Eucalyptus trees. now starting (section) Invasion of the Nonnatives"
January 26, 2024 –
page 318
53.72% "starting up Part III: Citruses: The Industry of growth and chapter 05: Orange revolution"
February 2, 2024 –
page 318
53.72% "some listening today...nearly done with ch.05: Orange revolution. next section is last: Managerial Control."
February 5, 2024 –
page 372
62.84% "finishing up ch.05: Orange revolution. next section is last: Managerial Control."
February 8, 2024 –
page 444
75.0% "deep into chapter 6: Cultural costs. Finished section: Subdivide and uproot. Next up is section: Bugs in the System. - last section and chapter for this part on Citrus. (Next up: Palms)"
February 9, 2024 –
page 493
83.28% "now in the last part - Part IV - Palms: The Ecology of Style and deep into chapter 07: Cosmopolitan Fronds. Nearly finished with (section) Street trees and city boosters."
February 14, 2024 –
page 532
89.86% "continuing chapter Aesthetic Infrastructure, finishing (section) Sunbelt design and next up (section) Wilted crowns...this is the last chapter, although Epilogue is quite long."
February 14, 2024 – Finished Reading
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