It is unfortunate and saddening that official records are mostly absent for the first 30 years of our botanical garden in Westwood. What has survived is very disorganized. One description that remains, albeit in diary shorthand, is an account of the January freeze of 1949, penned by garden superintendent Don Woolley. This was, literally, the low point in our history, when many of the early tropical plantings succumbed to cold. It seems worthwhile to print this history, as a reminder.
Jan. 3rd. Cold winds of 30 mile force struck all day and temp. hugged 44o. Looks bad to-night but winds should keep out a freeze!
Jan. 4th. Wrong. 29o in Lathhouse--all tender plants frozen badly. (high was 49o) Took min. thermometer to bottom of hill near bridge on the end of stone wall. 7:20 AM. It registered 19o after 5 min. Fair, high ceiling no wind Plants throughout the Arboretum were badly hit & only time can give accurate account of damage. Foliage is commencing to smell like old paint or bad squash as the rising sun blackens frozen leaves, flowers, & stems. Heavily hit are of course the succulents other than cacti and fuchsias, Hibiscus, many ficus, eucalypts, and herbaceous plants. Jan. 5th. 32o in Lathhouse 27o on lower road Light breeze all a.m. High of 65o All Tropicals badly hit--especially so because of brite sun & warmer days following freeze! (Cooked)
Jan. 6. 36o low in lath. Desert winds burned plants even more when temp hit 73o at 1:30 p.m. Planted 76 penstemons in Scotty's G.*
Jan. 7. Painting of trunks of badly burned subtropicals was begun against dropping of foliage soon prevention scorch of bark. After 3 days of check-ups would say all tropicals lost apparently. 5% of subtropicals los--71% of all broadleafs burned in varying degrees by freeze and following warm winds, brite sun, rising temp. 25% Euphorbias lost at this time apparently. Very few of cactaceae hurt. Bambusas--foliage badly scorched in lower garden but without any outward sign of trouble in upper garden. All of the malvaceae thruout the garden at all altitudes were practically completely defoliated & half frozen back on this years growth--many worse. All Ficus in arboretum hit. (except one) Of the Agavaceae only two seem frozen enough to see Agave sisalana, agave lurida (at this writing) see complete report. Of the Aloes nearly 100% hit in varying degrees. blossoms wiped out in almost all cases! Eucalypts. Suffered most at lower altitudes in garden. Dr. Scotts* garden was about an 82% casualty. Plants in lathhouse were about 75% knocked out--many dead!--Jan. 7th temp 42o(72o
[Jan.8(9] Over the weekend the temp dropped the wind again became cold on Sat. Fair & sunny 40o 60o Sun. cloudy in aft. With violent winds knocking down & uprooting the Acacia cyanophylla--snow squalls all through L.A. foothills & here in Westwood. 4:15 Heavy snow squall--& bitter wind. 39o(49o
Jan. 10 Lathhouse 30--lower road 25o Cold windy--High 49o used Humisites sacks over stems of Kochias, Hibiscadelphus & Tarpaulins & water pail underneath at Strelitzia reginae!
Jan: 11th Snow 1 inch on more than half the plants & ground--heavy snow in mountains & all over hills of entire surrounding territory! Temp 33o Lathhouse High 45o 32o on lower road. Melted completely in Arboretum by 12:30 p.m. Heavy overcast skies dark after 9 a.m.--occasional lightening after 3 p.m.
Jan 12th. L.house 29.5 lower road Ice on everything--snow & ice on all surrounding mtns hills again.
Jan 13th & 14th followed with day & night light rains
Jan. 14. More & More plants showing varying degrees of frost. Nearly all Eucalyptus hit to some degree. Most conifers--i.e. Thuja, Libocedrus, junipers & cypress show heavy discoloration
And so, half a century ago our forefathers fought valiantly as the wonderful tropical collection perished. We can all sense the anguish as we read the broken sentences and between the lines of this old diary. Never since has freezing been a problem for our collection. We are hoping (fingers crossed) that this will never again happen in Westwood. Likely, our botanical garden will not be frozen again because the tall buildings of the nearby Wilshire corridor and many academic and health science facilities act as heat sinks, providing our garden with a warmer winter microclimate.
*Refers to Dr. Flora Murray Scott at UCLA