Cross-section of a Pasadena Oak
On January 17, 1993, a Pasadena oak tree on the grounds of The Huntington collapsed during a severe rainstorm. Over its 250-year lifespan, this tree witnessed various empires, nations, owners, and caretakers, all of whom left their mark on the land now known as The Huntington. As a tender sapling prior to Spanish colonization, it existed alongside Indigenous peoples known today as the Gabrielino-Tongva or Kizh Nation, who likely tended their own ancestral oak groves amid the dense chaparral landscape. What remains of this majestic tree is a cross-section of its trunk. The visible rings record its growth patterns and responses to environmental changes, serving as a living archive. This oak bears a scar from a severe fire, and the thickness of its rings reveals periods of drought and flooding. During the preservation process, the tree slab split into sections, and wooden pieces were used to suture the cracks, helping to hold it together.
Cross-section of Pasadena oak tree (Engelmann oak) with at least 250 rings. Preserved, repaired, and finished by Andrew Mitchell. ca. 1740-1993. Botanical Study Collection, The Huntington.