By Ann Peterson

Managing editor

(Thursday, May 30): The golden raintree near Rossmoor’s entrance was removed on Wednesday, May 29, after the trunk split down the middle.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, a resident noticed the split in the tree and notified staff. The tree, which sat on golf course property, was in danger of falling and had to be removed.

“It was a safety issue,” GRF General Manager Jeff Matheson explained. “We had to remove the tree quickly.”

Although there are other golden raintrees in Rossmoor – at the Fitness Center parking lot and around First Mutual – the one at the corner of Rossmoor Parkway and Golden Rain Road was the most prominent. It was the original Hospice Tree of Lights, in which individual lights commemorated loved ones during the holiday season. (Ironically, the Tree of Lights moved from its location at Creekside to the Dollar Clubhouse this year after the oak tree that housed it died and had to be removed.)

The Golden Rain tree also was synonymous with Rossmoor – a favorite of Rossmoor developer Ross Cortese, the tree gave its name to Golden Rain Road and the GRF.

Golden raintrees typically live about 50 years. Historic photos of Rossmoor from the early 1970s showed the tree at the intersection of Golden Rain Road and Rossmoor Parkway.

Matheson said a decision has not yet been made about what to do with that corner, which is the first intersection entering Rossmoor.

“Over the years, there have been discussions about a welcome monument or color splash landscape in that area,” he explained. “Instead of rushing and planting a new tree, this is an opportunity to really decide what to do there.”