Brentwood Coral Tree Endowment Fund annual fundraiser underway
By Sam Catanzaro
The Brentwood Coral Tree Endowment Fund, a local non-profit, is holding their annual fundraising campaign to help preserve the iconic yet fragile trees lining San Vicente Boulevard.
In a May 6 newsletter, the Brentwood Community Council (BCC) announced that the Brentwood Coral Tree Endowment Fund is holding its annual fundraising campaign.
“Brentwood Coral Trees are City-designated Historic Monuments that have defined the community for decades and are a joy to behold when driving along San Vicente or when their orange flowers bloom each year,” the BCC wrote. “Too much water, such as heavy rain, can lead to branch failure and gophers are currently damaging the trees East of the Bundy/San Vicente intersection. The Coral Tree Foundation meets these challenges to care every year with professional pruning, arborist assessments and, now, commercial gopher control.”
The Brentwood Coral Tree Endowment Fund, a project of Friends of Brentwood Inc. (a 501(c)3 nonprofit) was established to promote the long-term health and beauty of Brentwood’s coral trees. On its website, the organization provides a history of how these trees came to be a part of Brentwood.
“After the red car line running along the Brentwood median was removed in the 1940s, our community resolved to plant trees where the tracks once lay. In 1976, the City of Los Angeles designated the Coral Trees that line San Vicente in Brentwood as a Historic Cultural Monument- Monument 148,” the organization writes.
Without regular care, these beautiful but fragile trees–that began as rooted cuttings from the well-known Evans and Reeves Nursery on Barrington Avenue–are subject to wind and water damage that can threaten pedestrians and joggers.
“Due to budgetary constraints, the city has cut all funding for their maintenance and care, however, experts agree, that once-a-year pruning will ensure their health and longevity, and mitigate limb breakage. With another $200,000 in donations, the fund will be sufficient to care for the trees in perpetuity,” the organization writes, adding on its website they have reached 80 percent of their fundraising goal.
There is some good nows, however, about the trees. The Brentwood Coral Tree Endowment Fund noted online that the City of LA is refining the sprinklers so that the proper amount of water is delivered to each tree and a green carpet can grow on the median.
In addition, this past year gophers have been running rampant, but service to control them from 26th Street. to Brigham Avenue has begun.
“Since the City’s budget is stretched indefinitely, this urgent work is being paid for at community expense from our fund,” the Fund writes.
Finally, 15 “babies” with single trunks are being grown from seed to be planted in 3-4 years and will fill in gaps where older trees have fallen.
