Prior to the post-World War II building boom, much of the San Fernando Valley , and particularly the west valley, consisted of ranches and farms. One of the large ranches adjacent to Canoga Avenue was owned by one of the Warner brothers, famous for their movie productions. Canoga Avenue was uniformly planted with stately California Pepper trees from Victory Boulevard south to Mulholland Drive .

The trees remained intact until the 1970's when what is now known as Warner Center began construction. The Pepper trees between Victory Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard were removed at that time. In the City's effort to preserve landmark resources, the remaining Pepper trees between Ventura Boulevard and Saltillo Avenue were granted Historic-Cultural Monument status.

Due to age, tree failure, and structural problems, the City's urban forest managers have been forced to remove portions of the remnant Pepper trees. The removed trees have been replaced with Peppers and the City will continue to ensure the California Pepper trees remain as the beautiful resource they have always been.