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Newly planted red horse chestnut in Holbrook-Palmer Park. Photo by Eleanor Raab. 
Newly planted tree at Holbrook-Palmer Park. Photo by Eleanor Raab. 
Newly planted oak tree at Holbrook-Palmer Park. Photo by Eleanor Raab. 
Group of newly planted trees at Holbrook-Palmer Park. Ginkgo tree in the foreground. Photo by Eleanor Raab. 
Group of newly planted trees at Holbrook-Palmer Park in Atherton on May 2, 2024. Maple tree in the foreground. Photo by Eleanor Raab.
Over the last year, the town of Atherton has added 44 new trees of 22 different species in Holbrook-Palmer Park. The newly planted trees were placed in the park as part of Atherton’s Holbrook-Palmer park circulation project, and as part of the 2024 Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations.
The new tree species were chosen by the Atherton Park & Recreation Committee, alongside town Arborist Sally Bentz-Dalton.
Tree species were selected with aesthetics, as well as pest, disease and climate change resistance, in mind. Additionally, 40% of newly planted tree species are evergreen, which will ensure that there is foliage in the park throughout the winter.
“The newly planted trees add to the plant diversity of the park which helps if a pest or disease attacks a certain species,” said Bentz-Dalton in an email to this news organization. “The Western Redbud and Catalina Ironwood are native to California. The Cork Oak and Southern Live Oak are not native to California, but will do better as temperatures rise.”
In their spring newsletter, the town suggests that local homeowners may want to consider planting some of the evergreen tree species that were installed in the park in their own yards.
Bentz-Dalton said that now might be a great time to begin planting.
“Spring is a good time to plant before the weather is hot in the summer,” she said. “Fall is also a good time to plant.”
With the addition of the new trees, Holbrook-Palmer Park now has over 880 trees of 110 species. You can learn more about the trees in the park by taking the self-guided Holbrook-Palmer tree walk, accessible on the Atherton town website.
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