10 trees of the Jardí Botànic for Arbor Day
This year, once again for Arbor Day, we asked our colleagues from the Jardí Botànic of the University of Valencia what their favourite trees in the Garden are. Majesty, affection, magical memories, calm, refuge, curiosity... trees that evoke all kinds of feelings, unique to each person, and which are sure to invite you to take a stroll through our winter landscape, taking advantage of the fact that today, 31st January, admission is free, to choose your own. Or do you already have one? If so, don't hesitate to share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #elmeuarbredelbotanic. Don't forget to tag us @jardibotanicuv and, if you feel like it, tell us why that tree is so special to you! From Esporas, we wish you a happy Arbor Day!
Raquel de Rivas
CCC PROFESSORSHIP
Bald cypress <<Not only is this tree my favourite in the Jardí Botànic, but so is its location: a secluded spot, hidden from view, covered in vegetation, with a path running through it and water flowing nearby… I don’t think you could ask for anything more. Whenever I can, I escape there for a while to get away from it all and take a deep breath. The tree is majestic. It is deciduous, so there are times when it looks more splendid than others. Whenever I visit or teach in the garden, I stop for a while in that area and take the opportunity to explain the evolution of species as a slow process of adaptation, and how climate change poses a threat to adaptation and therefore to the survival of our species. Looking at the pneumatophores of this tree, which allow it to live in waterlogged areas, it is easy to understand how the accelerated transformation of the environment is behind the loss of plant biodiversity. I’ve read that in swampy areas of the United States, these pneumatophores can grow to the size of a seat. I’ll continue to enjoy it whenever I can>>.
Josefa Prieto
GERMPLASM BANK TECHNICIAN
Hong Kong orchid tree <<
I’m impressed by many monumental trees in the Jardí Botànic, both for their age, shape or size, and other characteristics, but on this occasion I’ll choose this specimen for its beautiful flowers that resemble orchids. Its leaves are also curious, consisting of two lobes that look like butterflies. During the flowering season, it’s impressive, adding a touch of pink to the collection of ornamental plants in the colourful Jardí Botànic>>.
Sonia Martínez
CENTRE ADMINISTRATOR
Southern magnolia <<The corner created by a few monumental specimens in the main corridor of the Jardí Botànic has a life of its own, and we know it as the “magnolia square”. It’s a very special place for me, not only because I really like this evergreen tree and its beautiful, aromatic flowers, but also because it’s where the “Sons al Botànic” concerts are held, which have allowed me to enjoy another of my passions, music! It’s a magical experience, acoustic, under the moonlight and the welcoming atmosphere of the magnolias in summer>>.
Juan Carlos Reolid
GARDENER
Carob tree <<I’ve had a special connection with this tree for 20 years. When I worked pruning citrus trees at Finca Càrcer, near Beneixida, there was a carob tree classified as unique or monumental that was amazing. It was not pruned like the ones we usually see with a cap shape to produce carob pods and, incredible as it may seem, it was over 15 metres tall. The most impressive thing was that the skirt branches, the branches that rest on the ground, had not been cut, and had formed three huge octopus legs, which rested on the ground and reinforced the tree’s anchorage so that it could grow in height. What fascinates me about the carob tree in the Jardí Botànic is that I see it as a tree with a long life ahead of it. It’s resistant, as this is its habitat, its growth has not been stunted by apical pruning, and the anchoring branches are being respected despite the aisles created by formative pruning>>.
Dani Del Toro
GARDENER
Stone pine <<One of my favourite trees (it’s impossible to choose just one…) is this monumental pine tree at the end of the main corridor of the Jardí Botànic, in the forestry collection. I’m impressed by its size and I really like the majesty of its reddish trunk, which looks like a Greek column rising towards Olympus. It also leaves a beautiful mark on the skyline of the Jardí Botànic, from the other side of the Turia River Park>>.
Gemma Burgos
SERVICE ASSISTANT
Pummelo <<It’s grafted onto a bitter orange tree. Seeing it in fruit captivates me: oranges on some branches, grapefruit on others, the combination of colours is spectacular. What’s more, it makes me think that this has probably been the case year after year since the 19th century>>.
Alfonso Cuadros
ACCESS CONTROLLER
Common fig <<My favourite tree in our magnificent Jardí Botànic is the fig tree at the end of the central walkway, next to the drinking fountain square. I really enjoy its shade and fruit in summer and, especially, the scent of its fruit and leaves. It takes me back to my childhood, when I used to go with my grandfather to his orchard in the warm summers of Jaen to pick the huge fruits that the fig trees on the land offered us. I loved them!>>.
Pedro Cabrera
SERVICE COORDINATOR
Chinese emperor plum <<All kinds of people gather under its shade to have a coffee or a cup of tea when the numerous events held in the Jardí Botànic take place, and I hear them talking about different theories for their professional projects or simply catching up after a long time and telling each other about their lives. It’s nice that they get together and discuss a wide range of professional or simply personal topics. For me, it’s as if its shade unites people who have different professional and personal theories, who talk and respect each other, and that’s very important nowadays>>.
Berta Miralles
MID-LEVEL RESEARCH TECHNICIAN
Himalayan cypress <<This is a beautiful specimen due to its imposing shape and size, which stands out in the Botanical School of the Jardí Botànic. I like to observe it up close: its trunk seems to stretch infinitely towards the sky, and its bark has a distinctive texture, cracked in deep longitudinal lines>>.
Dani Ballesteros
RESEARCHER
Bur oak <<This monumental tree can be found in the corner of the Jardí Botànic, behind the gardening school. The unique story behind this tree is that it was planted in the 19th century, during the Pizcueta era, and the CNRGF in Alaquàs (National Centre for Forest Genetic Resources) has one of its siblings that came from the United States on the same ship. Interestingly, it is at the CNGRF in Alaquàs where the pollen bank that is part of the national germplasm bank has been physically installed, which I helped to create through my project, the ‘global pollen bank of Quercus>>.
Photos: Jose Plumed and Elisa Caballer. Jardí Botànic of the University of Valencia.
