Thanks to the fertile region here in the East Bay, Fremont and the Tri-City area are home to a varied group of trees, many of which have achieved landmark status. A great way to learn about these trees (for Fremont specifically) is to explore the booklet Landmark Trees, which can be found on the City of Fremont website. First published in 1973, and later updated and republished in 2012, this booklet details over 41 heritage trees that can be found throughout Fremont.
One such tree has significance beyond city borders. The Platanus racemose, otherwise known as the California Sycamore, located at 46644 Rancho Higuera Rd. in the Warm Springs District has been a hot topic amongst history-minded folks for 50 years. In 1977, at over 150 years in age, the tree was in a heated race for the largest sycamore in the nation.
Ted Harpainter, City of Fremont parks superintendent at the time, led the effort, which began after the tree was “discovered” by city staff who were conducting a survey for a forthcoming housing development. Unfortunately, the tree came in second to a California Sycamore in Goleta in Santa Barbara County.
It’s unclear where the tree would stand on a national register today, but where the tree stands in the hearts of its neighbors in Warm Springs is undeniable. The tree is a local treasure.
On a recent afternoon, standing at the intersection of Rancho Higuera Road and Chaparral Drive, local resident Kim Nguyen took a moment to pause and gaze at the tree during her daily walk, noting, “I’ve been here since the early 1980s. I always brought my children here to play and swing on the branches. Now my kids are full grown!”
Nguyen’s kids have aged, and so has the heritage tree. It towers over the humans, cars and homes surrounding it. The 2012 Landmark Trees publication noted a height of 70 feet, a trunk measurement of 11 feet and a spread of 135 feet. Its sheer size is still astounding 14 years later.
On April 11, 2026, the tree took a beating due to the intense rain and windstorms that came through the area. As a result, a large section of the tree separated from the trunk. City crews arrived quickly to ensure the safety of the area, to cut up the fallen branches and ensure the street was clear for vehicular traffic.
Despite the impromptu trim, the sycamore is as impressive as ever—an opinion echoed by the three local history and plant lovers who visited the tree two days after the storm (Barbara Baxter, Marjory Begley and Patricia Schaffarczyk).
This tree is a great reminder that quirks that make the city special are worth noting, especially when times are tough. Heritage trees add shade and produce oxygen, sure, but they also add flavor to the local area, and sometimes they even double as nature’s playgrounds, for kids and adults alike.
As Barbara remarked on the drive back down into Mission San Jose, “THIS is why we love living here.”
