October sky

Fullerton, California

Fullerton, California was founded by the Amerige brothers, George and Edward, in 1887 and named for George H. Fullerton, then-president of Pacific Land and Improvement Co., a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railroad. The city was for many years noted for its groves of Valencia oranges and other citrus crops. Fullerton packing houses are said to have shipped $15 million in citrus crops in banner years, although less than fifty acres of groves now remain in the city.

Fullerton lies on a border between Sunset climate zones 22 and 23 (USDA zone 8),

"Areas falling in Zone 22," Sunset writes, "have a coastal climate (they are influenced by the ocean approximately 85 percent of the time).... [The] winters are so mild here that lows seldom fall below freezing. Extreme lows (the coldest temperature you can expect in 20 years) average 28 to 25°F (–2 to –4°C).... The lack of a pronounced chilling period during the winter limits the use of such deciduous woody plants as flowering cherry and lilac. Many herbaceous perennials from colder regions fail here because the winters are too warm for them to go dormant."

Zone 23 is very similar: "One of the most favored areas in North America for growing subtropical plants, Zone 23 has always been Southern California’s best zone for avocados. Frosts don’t amount to much here, because 85 percent of the time, Pacific Ocean weather dominates; interior air rules only 15 percent of the time. A notorious portion of this 15 percent consists of those days when hot, Santa Ana winds blow. Zone 23 lacks either the summer heat or the winter cold necessary to grow pears, most apples, and most peaches. But it enjoys considerably more heat than Zone 24 -- enough to put the sweetness in ‘Valencia’ oranges, but not enough for 'Washington' naval oranges, which are grown farther inland. Temperatures are mild here, but severe winters descend at times. Average lows range from 43 to 48°F (6 to 9°C), while extreme lows average from 34 to 27°F (1 to –3°C)."