California Woods- Cincinnati Parks

California Woods contains 16 acres of old-growth forest within the woodlands of the 113-acre California Woods Nature Preserve. The forest’s age, its protection from winds and its deep, fertile soils have allowed it to support trees of significant stature. At least two are over 150 feet tall, and at least 11 measure over 140 feet in height. Three of the forest’s trees - a burr oak, a red hickory and a yellow buckeye- are the tallest known for their species in Ohio. The forest also hosts the world’s tallest known specimens of black walnut, hackberry, chinkapin oak, and honeylocust. The old growth area formerly had height champions for shagbark hickory, bitternut hickory, black cherry, and northern red oak.

In spring and early summer, abundant native wildflowers and ferns carpet most of the forest, including many drooping trilliums (Trillium flexipes), for which the forest’s Trillium Valley is named. The forest is a haven for migratory birds that require areas of high-quality mature forest for nesting, such as yellow-throated and cerulean warblers. The forest supports several native plants that are uncommon in southwest Ohio, such as twinleaf and guyandotte beauty.