Arboretum Tours Start March 15
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2006
Joe Wills
530-898-4143
Gary Vercruse, Faculities Management
530-898-6222
Arboretum Tours Start March 15
California State University, Chico and Bidwell Mansion State Park are jointly offering three tours of their extensive collection of native and exotic trees and shrubs this spring, March 15 and 29 and April 12. The easy and informative walks will begin in front of Bidwell Mansion, Wednesdays at 10-11:30 am.
Each tour will cover a different group of plants on the mansion and university grounds and will be led by horticulturists and botanists from the University and State Parks. Included will be the southern magnolia in front of the mansion, planted by General Bidwell in 1863 before the mansion was built. South of the mansion, along Sowilleno Avenue, the Bidwells planted American chestnuts, some of which remain and still produce nuts. Other noteworthy specimens to be seen are monkey puzzle tree from Chile, bunya bunya from Australia, dawn redwood from China and water oak southern United States.
Along the south side of Chico Creek, Bidwell planted various oaks that still survive. In 1887, when the State Normal School was established in Chico, California incense cedars and London plane (sycamore) soon went in on the west and south sides of the original administration building; a half dozen of these remain, including the striking plane tree in front of Kendall Hall, sometimes referred to as the "Founders' Tree."
Recent tree plantings include red chestnut, black tupelo and cutleaf zelkova. Unusual old shrubs include several in front of the mansion: cockspur coral from Brazil, white-flowered magnolia from China, and strawberry bush from France.
The trip leaders will discuss current horticultural and pruning practices as well as make suggestions about the selection of plants for Chico yards. Participants are encouraged to bring leaves from plants they wish to have identified or talk about problems they are having with insects or diseases.
Available at the Mansion Information Center is a map and guide to mansion and university trees and shrubs, titled "Campus Trees." Also available is the map and guide "Campus Creekside Nature Walk." These can also be purchased at the campus bookstore and the Department of Biological Sciences in Holt Hall.
Further information about the tours can be obtained from the Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, 895-6144, or from the University at 530-898-6222. Leaders of the first tours will be Gary Vercruse, CSU, Chico manager of grounds, and Wes Dempsey, professor emeritus of biological sciences.
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