24 Feb Ashland Tree of the Year: photos of every one!
Every Ashland Tree of the Year.
From 1988 (the first one) until 2023.
51 great tree photos!
A photo essay for tree lovers.
Published in 2025.
1988 Tree of the Year — Monterey Cypress (our FIRST Tree of the Year)
Latin name: Cupressus macrocarpa
Location: At the intersection of North Main Street and Laurel Street, near Briscoe School.
Brief notes: This majestic Monterey cypress tree was Ashland’s first Tree of the Year. It was planted in 1905 by Ross Eliason. This cypress has been severely damaged twice by snow accumulation on major branches during snowstorms — once some time after 2001, the second time during February 2025.
To read my comprehensive history of this tree, and to learn about Monterey cypress trees, click here.
1989 Tree of the Year — Tree of Heaven
Latin name: Ailanthus altissima
Location: This tree “was located in the Plaza at the entrance to Lithia Park. It was removed in 2006 due to disease and instability.”
Brief notes: Tree of Heaven trees seem to have been first planted in Ashland in the 1880s. They are drought-tolerant trees, but also invasive trees. To read my comprehensive history of this tree, and to learn about Tree of Heaven trees, click here.
(photo from the Terry Skibby collection, on Tree of the Year 1989 page at City of Ashland website)
1990 Tree of the Year — Monkey Puzzle tree
Latin name: Araucaria araucana
Location: You will find this tree at 1 Hillcrest Street. This is the north end of Hillcrest Street, where it meets Vista Street and Glenview Drive.
Brief notes: These trees are fascinating in many ways, beginning with the nonsensical name. The were originally planted in Ashland more than 100 years ago. To read my comprehensive history of this tree, and to learn about Monkey Puzzle trees, click here.
(photo by Terry Skibby, 2001, from City of Ashland website)
1991 Tree of the Year — Interior Live Oak
Latin name: Quercus wislizeni
Location: This tree grows in front of 1007 Ashland Street, at the corner of Beach Street.
Brief notes: Amazing story. This entire tree came down during a snowstorm January 28, 2008. The downed tree covered Ashland Street from one side to the other. The stump of the trunk was cut off flush with ground level. Within a couple of years, new tree trunks sprouted from the roots and bare stump. The new tree is now about 30′ tall!.
(Terry Skibby photo at City of Ashland website)
1992 Tree of the Year — California Black Oak
Latin name: Quercus kelloggii
Location: 133 Nutley Street.
Brief notes: This tree is best viewed as a pedestrian, walking up or down Nutley Street.
1993 Tree of the Year — Walnut
Latin name: Juglans major
Location: in Glenwood Park, at the corner of Ashland Street and Glenwood Drive.
Brief notes: As with other old trees, this walnut has lost several large branches, but still looks beautiful.
1994 Tree of the Year — Giant Sequoia
Latin name: Sequoiadendron giganteum
Location: Near the entrance to the Southern Oregon University Hannon Library.
Brief notes: This is the largest of a group of Sequoia trees near the Hannon Library entrance.
1995 Tree of the Year — Black Oak
Latin name: Quercus kelloggii
Location: 128 South Laurel Street.
Brief notes: Another old oak tree that may predate the town of Ashland, or else was planted by early settlers.
1996 Tree of the Year — Blue Spruce
Latin name: Picea pungens
Location: The tree was located between the sidewalk and street in front of 567 North Main Street, near Maple Street.
Brief notes: Several spruce trees around town came down during a strong storm in early 2023. This was never a spectacular Tree of the Year, but it was sad to see it go.
1997 Tree of the Year — American Elm
Latin name: Ulmus americana
Location: 695 B Street, near the corner to Sixth Street.
Brief notes: The plaque by the tree calls it a Slippery Elm. It is a very dramatic tree in this part of the Railroad District.
1998 Tree of the Year — Coast Redwood
Latin name: Sequoia sempervirens
Location: 801 Ashland Street.
Brief notes: Redwoods are easy to notice and easy to love. Coast redwoods are the world’s tallest trees, while the Giant redwoods are the world’s largest trees by their mass. It’s a “win” either way.
1999 Tree of the Year — Osage Orange
Latin name: Maclura pomifera
Location: At the corner of Helman Street and Orange Avenue.
Brief notes: This tree was said to be planted by Abel Helman from a cutting he brought to Ashland from his home state of Ohio. The house where he and his wife Martha lived is still here. with the tree in front of it.
2000 Tree of the Year — Ginkgo
Latin name: Ginkgo biloba
Location: This Ginkgo tree was located near the Ashland Library, and was removed for the library expansion in 2003.
Brief notes: I am still looking for a photo of this Tree of the Year! I will add it here as soon as. find one.
The Ginkgo tree was cut down to make room for the Ashland Library expansion, which opened in 2003. Woodworker Tom Hopkins took the tree stump back to his wood shop. He carved several artworks from the Ginkgo wood, which you can see at Ashland Library.
The photo below shows a close-up of Ginkgo leaves in their autumn colors, from a tree at the corner of Second Street and C Street.
2001 Tree of the Year — Blue Atlas Cedar
Latin name: Cedrus atlantica
Location: 391 Liberty Street, at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Brief notes: Blue atlas cedars are pretty trees. This one is difficult to photograph well.
2002 Tree of the Year — Deodar Cedar
Latin name: Cedrus deodara
Location: These two Deodar cedars are in the parking lot. in front of the Safeway store at 585 Siskiyou Boulevard.
Brief notes: As you can see from the first photo below, the Deodar cedars were not always in front of the Safeway store. Did they move? More likely the Junior High School that was at this corner did the moving — over to Walker Avenue.
(photo from City of Ashland website, from Terry Skibby collection)
2003 Tree of the Year — Pecan
Latin name: Carya Illinoensis
Location: 762 B Street, between Sixth and Seventh Streets.
Brief notes: Ashland once had hundreds of acres of fruit orchards, but I don’t remember reading about any pecan orchards.
2004 Tree of the Year — Monterey Cypress
Latin name: Cupressus macrocarpa
Location: 407 Scenic Drive, at the corner of Wimer Street.
Brief notes: Like our first Tree of the Year, the Monterey cypress by Briscoe School, this is a huge one. Arborist Casey Roland told me that both of them probably have underground springs nourishing them.
2005 Tree of the Year — Giant Sequoia
Latin name: Sequoiadendron giganteum
Location: 165 Almond Street, near the corner of Bush Street.
Brief notes: This is definitely a “Giant” sequoia! The photo I took from the bottom of the tree, “looking up” through the branches, is one of my favorite photos.
(photo from City of Ashland website, from Terry Skibby collection)
2006 Tree of the Year — Pacific Madrone
Latin name: Arbutus menziesii
Location: You’ll find this tree in the center of the Mountain View Cemetery, on the north side of Ashland Street, by the corner of Normal Avenue.
Brief notes: Ashland and the surrounding woods have thousands of Madrone trees. The one at Mountain View Cemetery is one of the largest. It is also in a spot where people tend to slow down and appreciate the present moment.
2007 Tree of the Year — Silver Maple
Latin name: Acer saccharinum
Location: 122 Helman Street, near the intersection with Central Avenue.
Brief notes: I love the size and shape and multi-trunks of this Silver maple.
2008 Tree of the Year — Spanish Fir
Latin name: Abies pinsapo
Location: 128 Wimer Street, near the intersection with Scenic Drive.
Brief notes: Here’s how the city’s Tree of the Year StoryMap describes this Spanish fir: “This beautiful tree resembles an elegant blue-green ball gown.”
2009 Tree of the Year — Flowering Dogwood
Latin name: Cornus florida
Location: 634 Iowa Street, near the intersection with Sheridan Street.
Brief notes: Flowering dogwoods are hard to beat when it comes to springtime color. Some days I think the white dogwoods are more beautiful. Then I see a tree like this Tree of the Year on Iowa Street and I applaud the pink dogwoods.
2010 Tree of the Year — Podless Catalpa
Latin name: Catalpa erubescens
Location: 200 Sherman Street.
Brief notes: The city’s Tree of the Year StoryMap says: “This particular tree is very unique to our region and may be the only one on the West Coast.” That makes the damage caused by the early February 2025 snowstorm even more sad than just seeing the photos.
2011 Tree of the Year — Coast Redwood
Latin name: Sequoia sempervirens
Location: 65 Granite Street, near the intersection with Baum Street.
Brief notes: Here we have two Trees of the Year in the same block. Another towering Coast redwood is on the right. You will see this photo again when we reach the 2017 Tree of the Year.
2012 Tree of the Year — Oregon White Oak
Latin name: Quercus garryana
Location: 1209 Iowa Street, near the intersection with Lincoln Street.
Brief notes: This oak tree is not huge, but something about the way it fits with the house and the neighborhood is special.
2013 Tree of the Year — Fremont Cottonwood
Latin name: Populus fremontii
Location: 380 Clay Street, at corner of Villard Street.
Brief notes: This tree was also involved in controversy, too complicated to explain in a couple sentences. Suffice it to say that community member rallied to save the tree — and they did. Working in the tree’s favor — there is a spring right next to it.
2014 Tree of the Year — Silver Maple
Latin name: Acer saccharinum
Location: 445 Stadium Street, between two large SOU student dorm buildings.
Brief notes: What a smart move to save this huge old Silver maple tree when the new SOU dorms were built. This tree “makes” the courtyard a healthy, happy place.
2015 Tree of the Year — Oak
Latin name: Quercus spp.
Location: In the northwest corner of the Mountain View cemetery, at the intersection of Normal Avenue and the bike path.
Brief notes: This tree is hard to notice, but it was voted a Tree of the Year, so it must be loved.
2016 — no Tree of the Year was chosen.
2017 Tree of the Year — Flowering Dogwood
Latin name: Cornus florida
Location: 77 Granite Street.
Brief notes: Here is the other Tree of the Year on this block of Granite Street. Look at those lush pink “flowers” — okay,. they are actually “bracts,” not flowers — but you knew that, right?
2018 Tree of the Year — Giant Sequoia
Latin name: Sequoiadendron giganteum
Location: 965 Bellview Avenue, near intersection with Black Oak Way.
Brief notes: The Bellview neighborhood also has its Giant sequoia tree, with a big bulge at the bottom of the trunk.
2019 Tree of the Year — Oak
Latin name: Quercus spp.
Location: 174 Church Street, at corner of Scenic Drive.
Brief notes: I need to take a photo of this beautiful oak tree with its leaves. It stands out at the corner of Church and Scenic.
2020 Tree of the Year — Ponderosa Pine
Latin name: Pinus ponderosa
Location: 558 Holly Street, near the intersection with Kearney Street.
Brief notes: I wrote a little about this unusual Ponderosa pine in my photo essay about Holly Street.
2021 Tree of the Year — Cork Oak
Latin name: Quercus suber
Location: 233 Fourth Street, near the Peerless Hotel.
Brief notes: Where do corks come from? Cork oak trees! And how do they “harvest” the cork? See my photo essay about the 2021 Tree of the Year for fascinating stories and photos.
2022 — no Tree of the Year was chosen.
2023 Tree of the Year — Italian Cypress
Latin name: Cupressus sempervirens
Location: 971 Siskiyou Boulevard, near the intersection with South Mountain Avenue.
Brief notes: This may be the larges Italian cypress in town. It is certainly a beautiful specimen of this tree.
2024 — no Tree of the Year was chosen.
2025 Tree of the Year — Stay tuned for nominations and voting for a new Tree of the Year in the coming months.
References:
For more information about Ashland’s Tree of the Year, see the Story Map at the City of Ashland website.
For comprehensive photo essays about some of our Trees of the Year, explore the “Tree of the Year” section of this WalkAshland.com website.
Andrea Good
Posted at 14:02h, 25 FebruaryWonderful essay, thank you so much! I was sorry to hear about the damage to the 1988 Tree of the Year – Monterey Cypress, in early February 2025. I love that tree!
Ruth Sloan
Posted at 10:29h, 25 FebruaryHow wonderful to see all the Trees of the Year in the same place! And so interesting to learn what has become of them. Thank you Peter!
Peter Finkle
Posted at 18:13h, 25 FebruaryRuth,
When I thought about creating this photo essay to include ALL of the Trees of the Year together, I hoped it would be helpful and meaningful for readers. I am glad to see that’s the case for you.
Peter