Where can one find a willow, cherry, and olive tree together in the same grove? As of Saturday, January 21, these trees and more can be found at the freshly planted Sister City Grove. Located on the grounds of the South Natomas Community Center, the grove is accessible to all Sacramentans. It serves as a symbol of the connections forged between the City of Sacramento and its nine sister cities:

• Bethlehem, Palestine
• Chişinău, Moldova
• Hamilton, New Zealand
• Jinan, China
• Liestal, Switzerland
• Manila, Philippines
• Matsuyama, Japan
• San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua
• Youngsan-gu, South Korea

The individual trees represent the natural history of each sister city and were selected by sister city representatives for their significance to each city’s local culture.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation donated the trees and assisted in hole-digging, mulching, and staking. We will continue to see the project to “fruition.”

The plantings are only the first phase in the ongoing Sister City Grove project. In March, an irrigation system will be installed, and later in the year, UC Davis landscape design student, Hannah Levy, will design paths and incorporate California native plants.