Celebrating Resiliency: The Lone Oak Survives

Our region’s unique character is defined by the Pacific Ocean and the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains. We are fortunate to be able to begin a bike ride or a multi-day backpacking trip, on a path amidst oaks, toyons, sycamores, deer, and coyotes within a half-hour drive from downtown. 

Sullivan Fire Road lies along the eastern edge of Topanga State Park, in an area also known as the Big Wild. Recently re-opened after the Palisades Fire, the six-mile road rises between Rustic and Sullivan Canyons and connects Pacific Palisades with  "dirt" Mulholland at the crest. Four miles up, on a level area between two steep inclines, a solitary, majestic coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) called the Lone Oak has become a beloved place for outdoor enthusiasts. The fifty-foot-wide canopy of this multi-trunk specimen provides bikers, hikers, and runners a shaded gathering spot at the foot of the road’s most grueling incline. Its exposed roots provide shaded seating for picnickers looking out to the adjacent canyons. The Lone Oak has been a destination. 

The Lone Oak, October 2023

January’s devastating fires would make it seem inevitable that the tree would perish. How could anything survive a fire that burned at a rate of 300 football fields an hour and charred 20,000 acres of the Santa Monicas? Post-fire satellite images, though, showed an almost unbelievable possibility: the Lone Oak might have survived.

The first return trek down Sullivan past bare, charred skeletons of toyons and sumacs revealed blooming silver bush lupines, durable Yucca whippleis, and deerweed in the final stages of their golden yellow blooms. Some had survived the inferno, and others were proof of the Big Wild already making its comeback. Could the tree be standing? Descending around a bend, the view revealed the flatter stretch of road, backdropped by the ocean. And then, seemingly miraculously, the Lone Oak was visible, standing confidently as it has for perhaps two hundred years – and looking remarkably intact.

Three factors contribute to Quercus agrifolia’s fire resistance: its protective bark, thick leaves, and root structure.

The Lone Oak, Summer 2025

The furrowed, thick bark provides protection for the tree’s cambium layer, which produces the tree’s new bark and wood and creates the rings that show us a tree’s age

Evergreen trees don’t have to replace their leaves every year, which allows the Quercus agrifolia to conserve energy. And its thick, dark green leaves are slow to burn. 

Sparse vegetation underneath the oak aided in the tree’s natural ability to defend itself. Outer leaves on the canopy’s western side sustained the worst damage, while leaves closer to center of the canopy and on the eastern side showed no damage. 

Quercus agrifolia roots spread for hundreds of feet, providing increased food storage opportunities. Even when a tree may appear to be dead, the tree can use the energy stored in the roots’ reserves to grow new sprouts in the canopy. This can occur in as little as two months after a fire. The roots are also insulated by a cork-like layer able to protect it from heat. 

Although its trunk and branches were completely charred, a different oak in the Park was showing signs of remarkable renewal by late summer. 

Other trees, while not necessarily adapted to our region, have shown evidence of fire resistance. Pines, such as the ponderosa and long leaf pine, are resistant to low-intensity fires. Giant Sequoias are adapted to fire, and cork oaks show similar fire resistance to our native oaks. Olive trees also have fire resistant qualities. 

The design community and all those affected by the recent fires are engaged in a conversation about fire-wise design. At LGLA, we are committed to using best practices to assist clients recovering from, or preparing for, fire. Plant species selection and the relationship of their locations to structures are important considerations in the design process. While coast live oaks have spatial requirements that may prove prohibitive to some smaller gardens, other species – such as crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), redbud (Cercis occidentalis), and desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) show encouraging signs of being fire-resistant trees. 

Our oaks have long been a symbol of California and evoke memories of grasslands found in the central part of our state and in our foothills, where they anchor the landscape and punctuate the golden hues with their wide, deep green canopies. Their history and beauty have made them an enticing option when designing a garden – and we are now reminded of their ability to sustain themselves. The survival of the Lone Oak inspires us with its resilience and promise.