Ginkgo
Located in front of the J-building, Gunn’s ginkgo tree sports fan-shaped leaves that will soon cascade down beautifully from their branches. Native to China, ginkgo trees have been around for an eternity — around 350 million years — and they can live for over a millennium. Their name originates from the Mandarin word “yin guo,” which means silver fruit. During fall, all of the leaves on the ginkgo shift from green to a brilliant yellow color. The other famous, or rather infamous, quality of the gingko tree is its fruit, which carries a putrid odor. Fortunately, only female trees bear these fruits, and Gunn’s male ginkgo only produces pollen. To witness the spectacle of our ginkgo tree’s leaves, be sure to relax on one of the three red benches surrounding it sometime next month.
Redwood
Believe it or not, we aren’t the only Titans at Gunn. Scattered around campus, coast redwood trees can be found near the tennis courts and parking lot. These titans can grow to be the tallest organisms on Earth, reaching heights of 300 feet, about the length of a football field. Their bark, similarly scaled, measures up to 12 inches thick. These long-lived trees — they can survive for over 2,000 years — are so iconic and widespread in California that they were designated as the official state tree in 1937. The trees on Gunn’s campus, however, are relatively young. In due time, they will grow to towering heights, just like our school spirit.
Palm
Extending high into the sky, a palm tree adorns the periphery of the quad. Palm trees owe their name to the shape of their leaves, which resemble the palm of a hand. Despite palm trees’ shorter lifespans — around a century, compared to an average of four centuries for trees — they grow relatively fast, which explains their impressive sizes. Over the years, palm trees have become synonymous with tropical climates and paradises, though they can thrive in many climates, as demonstrated by our very own palm tree persisting through the occasional dreary weather. The wide foliage of Gunn’s palm tree provides a shady spot for students to cool off on hot days.
