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Numbered Stops
#1   Ladies Changing Room.
The Ladies Changing Room was built in the 1940's and was used during the annual Tulip Festival so that girls could change into their Dutch costumes. The Tulip Festival attracted people from throughout the San Francisco area and was very popular in the 1950's.
 
#2  California Nursery Company Office.
The office was built in the 1900's and modified in the 1020's to give it a Spanish style. These offices were used to create catalogs, posters and other advertising as well as corespondence with California Nursery's domestic and international customers. The Pindo palms flanking the entrance were planted on Arbor Day in 2002 to replace similar trees known to have been planted there in the past.
 
#3  Japanese Garden
A small pond, arch bridge and trees from Japan and Asia were featured here. California Nursery sold a variety of ornamental plants and were frequently the first and only place to get rare specimens.
 
#4  Rose Garden
This space presently maintained by volunteers contains a wide variety of roses and ornamental plants.
 
$5   Coast Live Oak
A California Naive, the Coast Live is an evergreen species that produces a copious amount of acorns. The local Scrib Jays are key in establishing this tree because of their habit of hiding the seeds for later consumption.
 
#6  Blackwood Acacia
A native to Australia, this species is widely used in California for shade and ornamental value. The species is evergreen and has rapid growth making it ideal for screening.
 
#7   Dawn Redwood
The Dawn Redwood is a native to central China and was discovered in the early 1940's. The species is closely related the the Coast Redwood, Sequoia, and Bald Cypress of North America. This particular tree was planted in 1949.
 
#8   Atlas Cedar
The Atlas Cedar is native to the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. Though almost genetically identical to the Deodar Cedar, the Atlas Cedar often has blue green needles. This tree was rescued in the 1970's from adjacent property that was developed for housing. The tree's original 6'X6' wooden container has decayed leaving the tree elevated above grade.
#9   ACWD Pumping Station
This facility extracts water from the Alameda Cone, an aquafer that underlays most of Fremont, Newark and Union City, that is used for public drinking water. At this site are several vats where bald cypress and other semiaquatic plants are grown. Trees from here have been planted in many of the local lakes and quarries used for groundwater recharge.
 
#10   California Peper
Native to Chile--not California--and not the same tree that provides black peper, Regardless of these issues the California Peper is an attractive tree that does quite well in our area.
This is a turning point in the trail.
 
#11   Brazilian Peper
Closely related to the California Peper this tree is a common street tree throughout coastal California and the interior of Southern California. In this area is a row of Loquat trees, California Bay Laurels, Yew and Coastal Live Oak.
 
#12   California Live Oaks
This grove of oaks are unique to the Bay Area. The trees were rescued from the surrounding property, boxed and slated for sale in the 1970's. The sale never occured, and the trees rooted into the underlying soil.
 
#13   Experimental Fruit Orchard
These fruit trees represent in a limited way the vast array of fruit trees that were available from the California Nursery. In this orchard are cherry, apricot, peach, plum and apple trees. Beauityful in the spring and summer, when flower, leaf and fruit are abundant, and stark in the winter when the branches are bare.
This is a turning point in the trail.
 
#14   Guadalupe Island Palm
Anoter set of rescued trees (from Rock Ave. and Niles Blvd.). These trees are native to a coastal island off Mexico's Pacific Coast. Closely related to the Mexican and California Fan Palms, and similar in appearance, this tree is smaller and slower growing. An ideal palm for residential property where size is an issue. In this area are also cork oak, persimon, and Lombardy Poplar trees.
 
#15   Date Palm
Though too cool for fruit cultivation, this Mid-Eastern tree grows well in our area. The narrow trunk, and more rigid fronds distinguish this species from the more commonly grown Canary Island Date Palm.
 
#16   Monterey Cypress
The Monterey Cypress is a native California species that was religated to small groves on the Monterey coast. At one time, this species occurred throughout North America, but the Ice Age slowly restricted its range.
#17   Senegal Date Palm
Related closely with the Date Palm and the Canary Island Date Palm, this West African species hss the thin trunk of the Date Palm but has long flexible fronds. This multi-trunk specimen was nominated by Nelson Kirk to the California Big Tree List. It is currently the State Champ.
This is a turning point in the trail.
 
#18   Deodar Cedar
Native to South Central Asia this tree grows well throughout California. Species closely related to this tree include the Atlas Cedar and the Cedar of Lebanon. Genetically, there is little to distinguish separate species in this genera.
This is a turning point in the trail.
 
#19   Bay Laurel
Used locally as a spice, this species is only distantly related to the European Laurel which is extensively used for spice and decoration. There is a California and a Mexican Fan Palm near this spot and the caracteristics of these closely related palm species can be compared.
This is a turning point in the trail
 
#20  Locust
A North American species common in most states but introduced into California has showy white flowers in the spring, and light green leaves in the summer.
 
#21   Way station
The sign is here to mark a turning point in the trail.
 
$22   Water Tower
A 50,000 gallon provided water for a gravity distribution system for the 600 acre California nursery. This system was replaced with pumps when they became available in the 1940's. The wooden fondation of this water tower remains and is covered in a Banks Rose.
 
#23   Landers House and Packing Sheds
California Nursery's second owner had a house built on the property where he managed the day to day operation of the nursery. Built around 1907, the building is nearly completely original. Around the building are a number of ornamental trees including a Catalina Ironwood, various eucalyptus species, oak and other shade trees.
This is a turning point in the trail.
 
#24   Vallejo Adobe 1835ca.
Built originally as a bunk house for vaqueros managing a heard of cattle north of Alameda Creek, the building has has several functions over the years including grain storage, fumigation of trees, and a tea house for the nursery. The building is rented for parties and receptions.

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