Big Trees Heroes of the Garden

By Virginia Hayes

You may not have room for them in your
own garden, but life in our city would be significantly different
without them. Some tree species can assume heroic proportions and
become landmarks that shape the surrounding community. They stand
as links from one generation to the next, and sometimes for many
generations of citizens.

The most beloved and well-known monumental tree in Santa Barbara
is the Moreton Bay Fig tree (Ficus macrophylla) that spreads itself
near the train station. This specimen was a gift from a seafaring
man to a local youngster in 1876. When she moved away a year later,
her nine-year-old friend Adeline Crabb dug it up and transplanted
it to its current location. It has grown steadily since then and
may be the largest of its kind in California. If its health can be
maintained it may eventually rival its brethren in Australia with
canopies that can cover more than three acres of ground.