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Tours

1. Taste of Scripps

   Students can enjoy fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs throughout the year from 23 varieties of edible plants on Scripps' campus.

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   1. 9th Street: Oro Blanco Grapefruit

      These beauties begin to ripen just as finals are beginning in December. Oro blanco is a sweet, seedless cross between a white grapefruit and a pummelo. The flesh is pale yellow, the rind is thicker than other grapefruits, and the flavor is perfectly mild and sweet.

   2. Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Memorial Rose Garden: Lime, Lemon, and Tangelo

      This newly dedicated courtyard features a row of dwarf Mexican lime trees, dwarf Meyer lemons, and beautifully established tangelo trees.
      
      Fun fact: Chefs such as Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley rediscovered the sweet and juicy Meyer lemon, contributing to its popularity among chefs and foodies worldwide. Tangelos are a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine or mandarin.

   3. Kumquat Court: Kumquats

      This historic, hidden courtyard features two rows of prolific kumquat trees that provide both ornamental beauty and a sour pop of delicious citrusy flavor—these fruits are for the brave at heart. Native to China, these small fruits are often nicknamed the golden orange. Scripps’ Nagami variety ripens in mid- to late winter, they are sour on the inside with a surprisingly sweet edible skin.

   4. Chandler Walk: Valencia Orange

      The Valencia orange is a cross between a pummelo and a mandarin. Growing in two rows along Chandler Walk between East and West Jaqua, these oranges are a worldwide favorite for juicing. This vitamin C-packed orange was hybridized in nearby Santa Ana in the mid-1800s. Valencia oranges are the only variety of orange in season during the summer months. Another highlight of these lovely trees is the sweet smell of the blossoms and the buzz of bees that are naturally attracted to them.
      
      Fun fact: Chandler Walk was once lined with crepe myrtles trees, but when they were damaged in a wind storm, the choice was made to replace them with something more sustainable.

   5. South of Toll: Loquat

      Native to the cool hills of south-central China, these evergreen shrubs and trees are grown for both commercial and ornamental value. Loquats flower during the winter and fruit for spring and summer harvest. Cousins of the pear and apple, loquats grow in clusters and have a tangy floral flavor often described as a mix of apricot, mango, and citrus.

   6. Toll herb garden: Herbs

      During the drought in 2016, the Grounds Department was tasked with reducing the amount of turf on campus. This area was identified as a perfect spot to remove grass and install something new that would inspire communal gatherings among students. Four herb planters were installed along with a BBQ for student use. The Grounds Department partners with the student garden club each year to maintain a variety of herbs in this popular socializing spot.

   7. Student Garden: Seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs

      The student-run garden grows a variety of seasonal vegetables throughout the academic year. Apricots, kale, persimmons, Santa Rosa plums, kiwis, blood oranges, mulberries, and grapes are among the many edibles to be found in this hidden treasure. The compost gathered in the residence halls is processed here, and the garden club hosts a farmers’ market on campus that features seasonal items.

   8. South Dorsey: Seville Orange

      This brilliantly bright orange has many names: bitter orange, Seville orange, sour orange, and marmalade orange, among others. Native to southeast Asia, this fruit is now grown in many parts of the world, including Scripps College! Lining the south side of the Dorsey residence hall, the smell of the orange blossoms provides a sweet harbinger of the coming spring.

   9. Schow Hall: Pomegranate

      Our newest residence hall has California native and Mediterranean plants and fruit trees. A highlight is the line of pomegranate trees on the south side of the building. The trees at Schow Hall begin to flower in the spring months and take the entire summer to form fruit! Generally, by mid- to late October, it has developed into a bright red fruit the size of a softball. Pomegranates are native to a region of modern-day Iran and northern India. One of the world’s most ancient fruits, the pomegranate has a rich history of symbolism (such as fertility, in many cultures) and provides cultural significance to many.

   10. Humanities Courtyard: Mission Olives

       The mission olive is a cultivar of olive developed by Spanish missions in the late 1800s. Valued for its suitability to the California climate; however, the mission olive’s DNA has been traced back to a Moroccan variety rather than one of the 700 Spanish cultivars. They have the lowest pit-to-flesh ratio and the greatest cold tolerance out of any commercial cultivar in California. These olives have a special place in the hearts and hands of the Scripps community: Around the College’s founding in 1926, a grove of olives was planted as a place marker for a future building. When it came time for development to start, students spoke up and saved many of the trees from destruction. Mission olives can be found surrounding the Humanities Building, inside Margaret Fowler Garden, as well as in other areas on campus. Every fall we gather as a community to harvest olives for our annual olive oil production.