Must Sees at the L.A. County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

 From January until April and beyond, now is the time when some of the most spectacular scenery can be photographed, videoed and enjoyed. Although posed photography requires a paid permit, scenery and wildlife photography does not. There are few places like the Arboretum that have great shots to take just about all year long, so break in your Christmas camera here; I did. 

Trunks of leafless Crepe myrtle trees in the Mediterranean section show different levels of light-play 

The aptly named "Majestic Beauty" cultivar of Fraxinus uhdei presents dramatically next to the Bauer lawn. 

Flowering magnolia in the Meadowbrook section. 

Aloe species in the South African collection. 

Aloe ferox in the South African section. 

Citrus Cicatrix

 Question:

I have a very large, old and beautiful orange tree that has developed a fungus on the trunk. I’m looking for help in how I can treat the tree and prolong its life. As you can see, the bark is peeling and there is orange sap oozing out. What can I do?

Tear in tree, from both rat damage and possible sunburn. 

Rat damage scars. 

Answer:

Looks like rat damage, as well as some sunburn. Try painting the trunk and lower limbs with whitewash made of 50% water and 50% indoor white latex paint. 
In nature Citrus rely on their thick canopy of leaves to shade their relatively sun-sensitive bark.  If you trim a citrus tree too hard and too frequently it can develop a black sunburn on its trunk and larger branches. If you want to keep your citrus looking like a tree (it grows best when kept as a large, shrub like tree with its canopy going down to the ground), then it is a good idea to whitewash the trunk and larger branches. This protects them from sunburn and to some degree from insect infestation and rat damage.  Rats and other animals that might partake of the tree's thin bark (either to eat the sugary layer of vascular tissue underneath the bark or to sharpen their teeth) are discouraged by the layer of paint. The best paint to use is a 50-50 mix of water and white latex interior paint (interior latex paint is less likely than exterior latex paint to be loaded with preservatives). 

Early January, 2021 at the L.A. Arboretum

Most of the Autumn leaves have left, and we're still waiting on the first of flowering magnolias to start up. Fortunately there is always something to take your breath away here. 

Looking north at the South African section from the Bauer Lawn. 

Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) in the herb garden across from the coach barn. 

The final remains of fall at the Kallam Garden. 

Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) in the herb garden across from the coach barn. 

Fallen Ginkgo leaves in the prehistoric forest section.

Fallen Ginkgo leaves in the prehistoric forest section

Statue of Anita Baldwin overlooks one of the few remaining Ginkgos with fall color in the flowering magnolia collection.