RSF Association now has new arboretum

The Rancho Santa Fe Association has created a new arboretum, a living display of the types of trees that grow best in the Ranch. (Note: The March 14 grand opening event has been postponed to a later date due to rain.)

Trees are an important part of Rancho Santa Fe’s history and identity and over the last year the Association has issued a call to action to its residents to help preserve the Covenant forest by removing dead and dying trees to reduce fire risk and replacing them with more resilient trees. Portions of the Ranch forest, particularly the eucalyptus, have experienced significant decline due to drought, pests and diseases.

The idea for an arboretum was first planted about 10 years ago and has been given new life thanks to a Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club grant. About 50 trees have been planted along the golf course from Via De Fortuna and Via De Cumbre, on both sides of the trail.

The Association’s Fire Prevention Administrator Caitlin Kreutz selected a palette of trees for the arboretum that can thrive in Rancho Santa Fe’s unique climate, including a selection of oaks, Indian rosewood, Bishop wood and a variety of Australian natives such as acacias and willows. Residents are encouraged to come check out the trees as they grow to see how they might fit into and enhance their own landscapes.

“It’s focused on planting the right tree for the right place,” Kreutz said.