The architects said that they chose the swamp white oaks "because of their durability and leaf color. In fall, the leaf color ranges from amber to golden brown—and sometimes pink." They also added a more poetic reason for choosing the trees, saying "The trees will never be identical, growing at different heights and changing leaves at different times, a physical reminder that they are living individuals."
The trees were cared for in New Jersey, where for three years, where, as Walker told the San Francisco Chronicle, "We gorged the small ones and starved the big ones," in order to even out their size.
