The Sequoia Legacy Tree, a beloved landmark on the historic downtown US Post Office property, will be removed this fall following unsuccessful fungal treatment and professional evaluation declaring the tree dead.
The Sequoia Legacy Tree defied the odds of survival on the valley floor, where summer temperatures average over 100 degrees. Cause of death was determined to be from a naturally occuring fungus exacerbated by several very wet winters.
The ninety-year-old giant sequoia tree has long been a symbol of Visalia’s friendship and connection with our Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. The tree has proudly stood at the Visalia corner of Locust Street and Acequia Avenue since it was planted as a three-year-old sapling in 1936.
Visit Visalia is seeking input on the next phase of developing Visalia’s visual connection and appreciation for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Ideas can be submitted in the form below or sent to: info@visitvisalia.com.
'A Giant Growing in our Midst'
Located at the corner of Locust Street and Acequia Avenue in Downtown Visalia
About This Historic Tree
In February of 1936, Guy Hopping, superintendent of General Grant National Park (as it was known then) and Visalia Postmaster Nate Levy planted a pair of sequoia trees on either side of the Downtown Visalia post office. Hopping provided the trees, which were only 3 years old when they were planted, from the Grant Grove in the General Grant National Park. Hopping spent winters in an office in the basement of the beautiful art-deco post office, and he thought the trees would be a visual symbol of the collaboration between the two agencies and would bring a piece of the national parks to Visalia. Although the second tree was removed in the 1980s due to poor health, this tree has remained as a reminder of the strong relationship Visalia still enjoys with our neighbors in the mountains.
General Grant National Park was established in 1890. In 1940, it was expanded and renamed Kings Canyon National Park.
This project was created to provide an outdoor learning space for visitors and residents alike. Not only does it highlight the ties between Visalia and our local national parks, it demonstrates the importance of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the valley floor for water, the need for conservation, and our historical connection to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the National Park Service.
Read more about the Sequoia Legacy Tree or view the Sequoia Legacy Tree Brochure
Our Sponsors
Very special thank you to the following who invested their time, talents, and funds, and were instrumental in the development and construction of the project:
Many additional community partners contributed in support of this project:
