Toppled Tannenbaums

On Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena, this week’s windstorm showed that nature can cut down some of its own marvels. As a result, a 66-year-old tradition of holiday tree lighting will be sadly reduced a bit next year--and for years to come.

Powerful gusts knocked over eight of the beloved 144 deodar cedar trees on Santa Rosa Avenue, including three of the biggest and oldest trees that form a towering procession between Altadena Drive and Woodbury Road. Smaller replacements will be planted, but the losses will remain noticeable along that mile, residents noted.

“People are sad about it,” said Rosa Johnson, a longtime activist in the volunteer group that cares for the trees and lights them at Christmas. She said it could take 100 years for new trees to reach the 90-foot height of the fallen cedars.

Many of the original trees were imported from Italy and planted by Altadena pioneers John and Frederick Woodbury in 1882 for the grounds of a planned mansion that was never built. To the delight of thousands of visitors, the sparkling display of lighted trees has brightened every holiday season since 1920, except during World War II years and the energy crisis of 1978.

A close brush with the foothill fires three years ago did not stop the tradition. The current wind damage won’t either, although some of the majesty will be gone.

On Tuesday, one of the 90-foot-tall giant cedars remained on its side, its branches covering a parked car but missing a nearby apartment complex.

“It’s a shame,” said Marine Barcelo, who lives in the building. “It’s kind of amazing something that big would be knocked down.”

In 1990, Christmas Tree Lane was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and became the first botanical site to be designated a state landmark.

Until Monday, 99 of the original 146 trees survived, according to Francis Crunk, a vice president of the Christmas Tree Lane Assn. Crunk suspects that old age, disease and the soggy soil from the recent rains made the oldest trees susceptible to wind damage. Three were felled, along with five younger ones of various ages and sizes.

“These are magnificent trees, but they are going into a state of decline,” Crunk said. “It’s almost like people. When you stop growing, you start dying.”

Over the last three years, 20 new trees were planted, officials said.

“We hope we can get trees growing fast enough to get them lighted, to keep the tradition going,” Crunk said. To get ready for the display, people like Crunk and Johnson repair wires, screw in lightbulbs and organize an annual parade.

“It is to Altadena what the Rose Parade is to Pasadena,” Johnson said. “It’s our community project.”