Because of our warmer Mediterranean climate with dry Summers and (sometimes) wet Winters, many of Southern California’s lower elevation native trees and shrubs benefit from retaining their leaves in Winter and are not deciduous.

Those native trees that are deciduous don’t usually grow in dense stands or show their fall colors in a dramatic fashion.

Some of the Southern California trees found at low elevation that are deciduous are valley oak, sycamore, willow, cottonwood, ash, alder, elderberry and walnut.

From last Sunday’s run in Malibu Creek State Park.