Trees in Paradise: A California History
Tourists who cross the length and breadth of California’s topographically diverse countryside can’t fail to notice its wide variety of trees, from the giant sequoias of the north to the coconut palms and Joshua trees of the south. As Stony Brook University professor and former Californian Farmer points out in this oversize landscape history of our third-largest state, many of these trees are nonnative flora, like eucalyptus and citrus trees, cultivated after the U.S. conquest of Mexico and concurrent discovery of gold in 1848. Those seminal events in California’s history not only lured a flood of settlers but also inspired its new citizens to transform once-brown hills and valleys into Eden-like sanctuaries of orange groves and fig trees. In his comprehensive inquiry, Farmer charts the highs and lows of this horticultural revolution, including the ecological devastation that prompted environmentalists to protect the Yosemite Valley. More than just a dry botanical study, Farmer’s work blends superlatively nuanced prose with plentiful eye-opening anecdotes to produce a unique history of little-known but significant aspects of the Golden State. --Carl Hays