Return to the paved road along the crop fields, and continue to your left until you reach a four-way intersection at the walnut orchard. » Map
The orchard to your right was once full of thriving walnut trees. English walnuts were grafted onto native black walnut rootstock, creating a vigorous tree adapted to local conditions. See if you can find the graft – the line between the dark black walnut bark and the lighter bark of the English walnut.
Planted in the early 1900s by the second generation of Pattersons, these trees are well past their productive lifespan of 80 years. Over their lifetime, freshwater has been pumped from underground aquifers for farming and domestic use, and salty water from the Bay has moved in to take its place, making the potential for planting new trees more challenging.
Walnut harvest in La Puente Valley, early 1900s La Puente Valley Historical Society
The decline of this walnut orchard reminds us of natural cycles, delicately balanced systems, and the importance of understanding and working within those systems for the health and wellbeing of all.
Last Page: Trail’s End »