Update on San Vicente Coral Trees (including report)

As a followup to our June 16th communication regarding the worrisome state of the San Vicente coral trees and median, the city has provided us with a recently commissioned report. It is a tough read—12 of 13 trees examined are in dire straits.

They city also provided the following statement and encourage attendance at our August 6th meeting on this topic:

To ensure complete transparency regarding the San Vicente Boulevard median, we are sharing the comprehensive report from our independent consulting arborist. This report details the inspections of the 13 largest Coral trees on the median — trees that were part of a previous removal notice and subsequent community appeal. While the appeal process paused operations for review by the Urban Forest Commission, a significant development occurred on July 4 when one of these inspected trees suffered a complete failure.

In light of this recent failure and the explicit safety findings in the arborist's report, the City must move forward with removing the remaining 12 trees detailed in the report, alongside four smaller trees that were part of the original assessment. We anticipate this work will take place over the next few weeks to ensure public safety along the corridor.

It is important to note that this challenge is not unique to San Vicente Boulevard. Coral trees throughout Santa Monica and the broader Los Angeles region—on both public and private property—are currently experiencing a widespread, severe decline showing these exact symptoms.

We know how deeply valued these iconic trees are to our community. Representatives from our Urban Forestry, Public Landscape, Architecture, and Water Resources teams will be attending the Thursday August 6 North of Montana Association (NOMA) meeting. We look forward to discussing the history, immediate safety needs, ongoing management efforts (including irrigation), and long-term replanting vision for this beautiful corridor.

We encourage NOMA members to attend [the Thursday, August 6th] meeting [at 7pm via Zoom] to meet us and learn more. To help facilitate dialog and make the most of your time, please send your questions in advance of the meeting to public.landscape@santamonica.gov, and we will provide responses at the meeting. Thank you!