Sutro Heights Tree Tour (11-13-22)

November 14, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

On a simply magnificent autumn day, the tree geeks headed to the western most edge of the Richmond District, to a neighborhood known as Sutro Heights, named after Adolph Sutro, who built a mansion on the bluff overlooking the Cliff House and Ocean Beach. The park that remains where the mansion stood is filled with trees, many planted by Sutro himself. The conditions can be challenging for tree growth in this area: persistent fog and wind, sandy soils, and salty air. We were surprised to discover so many trees along the streets next to the park, demonstrating the adaptability of some of our most common trees—both native and introduced.

Today’s walk begins at the intersection of Geary Boulevard and 48th Avenue, one block south of Seal Rock Inn and the entrance to the Lands End Visitor Center parking lot; it’s also at the terminus of the 38-Geary bus line. The walk leads south on 48th to Anza Street, east on Anza to 46th Avenue, south on 46th to Balboa Street, west on Balboa to 47th Avenue, north on 47th to Sutro Heights Avenue, west on Sutro Heights to 48th, and finally north on 48th to the start of the walk at Geary. This walk is about two miles in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 32. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

The street addresses provided below will help when the chalk has faded. Most of the trees on this walk are planted in pockets in the sidewalk pavement; a few are planted within the front gardens of the homes along the route; and a number are noted inside Sutro Heights Park, on the west side of 48th.

48th Avenue, Geary to Anza, east side

1. 500 - 48th Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California & Sonora, Mexico (2 trees on Geary; note the beautifully tended shrub bed beneath the palms)

2. 500 - 48th Yew-plum pine, Buddhist pine, or Japanese podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus), Japan & China (2 trees flanking the garage door)

3. 510 - 48th Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), E Asia (watch for the big pink flowers on this young tree in April)

4. 558 - 48th Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), E Asia (3 trees at this address, but many specimens of this needle-leaf evergreen can be seen along 48th)

5. 566 - 48th New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (we have no explanation for the odd pruning of this tree)

6. 594 - 48th Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (there are many specimens of this tree in the neighborhood, including the ones across the street)

Anza Street, 48th to 47th, north side

7. 594 - 48th Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), E Australia (tree is on Anza; feel its spongy bark)

8. 594 - 48th Pink melaleuca (Melaleuca nesophila), W Australia (peeking over the rear fence)

9. 5624 Anza Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea, formerly Y. elephantipes), Mexico & Central America

10. 595 - 47th Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain (tree is on Anza; a young specimen, having barely developed a trunk; this is the species seen on Market Street and along the Embarcadero)

Anza Street, 47th to 46th, north side

11. 5546 Anza Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (3 trees; this hybrid was first introduced in San Francisco)

12. 5549 Anza Willow-leaf peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii), SE Australia (across the street)

13. 5549 Anza Electric Pink New Zealand cabbage tree (Cordyline ‘Electric Pink’), hybrid of NZ species (several trees at this address, notable for their pink leaves)

14. 5500 Anza Holm oak (Quercus ilex), Mediterranean Basin (a surprisingly uncommon tree in SF, despite its adaptability to our climate)

At 5501 Anza you’ll find the oldest tree we’ve ever encountered on our tours!

15. 5501 Anza Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), E Australia (this tree grows in stream-side locations in the wild, hence the common name; SF’s most commonly planted street tree)

Anza Street at 46th, south side

16. 5501 Anza Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), SE USA

17. 5501 Anza Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly SF’s most planted street tree; totally without leaves through fall and winter, it is usually in flower by early February)

46th Avenue, Anza to Sutro Heights, west side

18. 5501 Anza New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium), New Zealand (tree is on 46th)

19. 615 - 46th Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Ireland to Portugal and the Mediterranean

20. 625 - 46th New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (the yellowish aerial roots suggest that the flowers on this tree may be yellow)

21. 647 - 46th Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (several on Sutro Heights Avenue, an one of the three most commonly planted trees in SF’s parks)

46th Avenue, Sutro Heights to Balboa, west side

22. 103 Sutro Heights Drooping prickly pear (Opuntia monacantha), Argentina, Uruguay (these cacti are not usually thought of as trees, but note the single large trunk on this one)

23. 4500 Balboa Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonia), Australia & S Pacific Islands (4 trees on 46th; note the subtle variation in flower color)

Balboa Street, 46th to 47th, north side

24. 4508 Balboa Dragon tree (Dracaena draco), Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and W Morocco (cool tree, but too rare in SF; this one and two in the next block were planted about fifteen years ago)

25. 4530 Balboa Australian tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum), SE Australia

26. 4550 Balboa Torbay Dazzler cabbage tree (Cordyline australis ‘Torbay Dazzler’), New Zealand (2 young trees)

47th Avenue, Balboa to Sutro Heights, west side

27. 681 - 47th Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (one of the three most commonly planted trees in SF’s parks)

28. 667 - 47th Giant bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), E South Africa (watch for the huge, blue and white flowers as this tree matures)

29. 101 Sutro Heights Hybrid pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa x kermadecensis), New Zealand mainland and Kermadec Islands (tree is on 47th; the rounded leaves, relatively few aerial roots, and winter flowers suggest that this tree is a hybrid)

47th Avenue at Sutro Heights, northwest corner

30. 645 - 47th Peach tree (Prunus persica), China (this might actually be a nectarine)

48th Avenue at Sutro Heights, west side

31. 645 - 48th Blue trumpet flower (Iochroma cyaneum), Andes of S America (multi-trunked tree on left against house) and English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia & N Africa (glossy-leafed tree on the right against the house)

32. 641 - 48th Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), CA native: Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, plus Cedros and Guadalupe islands, MX (most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber)

**Cross to the east side of 48th and continue north for two blocks to the start of the walk at Geary**

*Note the sidewalk art at 626 - 48th :)

*At the northeast corner of 48th and Anza, look to the northwest, across the street into Sutro Heights Park. The park is filled with a good variety of trees, many of the visible from this vantage point, including plume acacia (Albizzia), Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Sydney golden wattle (Acacia longifolia), karo tree (Pittosporum crassifolium), Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), and Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus). All of these trees were in common use at the time Adolph Sutro built his mansion on the bluff and planted these trees; they are particularly adapted to seaside conditions of persistent fog and winds, sandy soils, and salty air.

This walking tour of Noe Valley’s street trees was organized by Mike Sullivan, author of The Trees of San Francisco and webmaster of www.sftrees.com; Jason Dewees, horticulturist at Flora Grubb Gardens and author of Designing with Palms; and Richard Turner, retired editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine . You can follow Mike and Jason on their tree-themed Instagram pages at @sftreeguy and @loulufan. One other great book on San Francisco trees, while you’re at it: Elizabeth McClintock’s Trees of Golden Gate Park, edited by Richard Turner. If you’re a tree enthusiast, buy all three books!”

Christopher Bunting and Luke Spray of “Roll Over Easy”

"Roll Over Easy" Radio Interview

October 18, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

Back in June 2020, as San Francisco and the rest of the world was deep in the pandemic isolation, I did a radio interview with Christopher Bunting and Luke Spray, who have the “Roll Over Easy” show on community radio station BFF.fm. It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had talking publicly about me and my interest in San Francisco’s trees. I just ran across the audio link - 30 minutes of San Francisco tree stuff - check it out!

And I highly recommend that you check out Roll Over Easy - here’s an sfgate story about them.

Our group! Matt Ritter, center with sunglasses

Tree Tour of St. Francis Woods with Matt Ritter

October 03, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

Last weekend I had the pleasure to be invited to a walking tour of the St. Francis Woods neighborhood led by Matt Ritter, professor of botany at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and author of A Californian’s Guide to The Trees Among Us - my favorite book on California’s trees (which just came out in a 2nd edition - click on the link to get your copy). St. Francis Wood was a planned neighborhood that got its start 110 years ago, and as part of its 110 year old birthday party, the neighborhood invited Matt to do a walking tour of interesting and landmark trees in St. Francis Woods.

Most of the participants were neighborhood residents, but a few tree aficionados tagged along, including Richard Turner, editor emeritus of Pacific Horticulture, Jason Dewees, author of Designing with Palms, and Sairus Patel, soon to be author of an updated Trees of Stanford. Landscape architect Bonnie Fisher, who with Matt has been advising the St. Francis Woods neighborhood on tree issues, joined us as well.

Who knew that the tallest Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata) in the Western Hemisphere was in St. Francis Woods? Not me - but Matt took us to the tree, and since he’s the State Coordinator for the California Big Tree Registry, no one was second-guessing him. The tree is in a lawn in front of 214 Santa Clara Avenue. Where is the largest in the world, you might ask? According to Matt, it’s in the Tokai Forest, near Cape Town, South Africa.

Matt also brought us to a huge Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius) in the northern end of St. Francis Park, adjacent to San Jacinto Way near its intersection with Santa Paula Avenue. This species exists only on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Clemente islands off the southern California coast, and Matt speculated that this tree could well be the largest outside of the tree’s native range.

prickly melaleuca *(Melaleuca styphelioides)*

At the northwest edge of the park the group stopped to admire a grove of prickly melaleucas (Melaleuca styphelioides), a relatively rare tree in San Francisco.

We learned that the eucalyptus that lines many of the streets of St. Francis Woods is the ribbon gum (Eucalyptus viminalis). It’s one of the two most common street trees in St. Francis Woods - but it’s found almost nowhere else in the City as a street tree. The other common tree in St. Francis Woods is red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), and the “national champion” tree (largest in the country) is in the neighborhood - it’s in the median of Monterey Boulevard near Junipero Serra.

Matt shared some interesting tree factoids along the way. One of my favorites: many who know the story of eucalyptus in California know that it was extensively planted in 19th century by landowners hoping to get rich from the lumber of the fast-growing tree. By the 1860s California was facing a timber shortage as the state grew rapidly and had began to run out of its native redwood timber. Eucalyptus was seen as a solution for the state’s lumber needs - it was thought to be an excellent source of lumber, as Australian sea captains visiting San Francisco arrived in boats made from excellent eucalyptus wood. But the Eucalyptus trees that were cut down 25-30 years later had wood that was terrible for lumber - it warped, twisted and cracked, and the Eucalyptus “gold rush” crashed by the turn of the century. What Matt explained is that there’s an inverse relationship between trees that are growing very fast and the quality of lumber. The “old growth” eucalyptus in Australia - hundreds of years old - made excellent timber; the get-rich-quick 30 year old California trees - not so much. That’s what Californians in 1860 didn’t know - Eucalyptus does make great timber, but you just have to be patient!

Lake Street Tree Tour

September 26, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

After basking in several glorious autumn days in San Francisco, the tree geeks braved the coolth to chalk a tree walk on Lake Street, which has been a popular “slow street” since early in the pandemic. We were somewhat surprised by the diversity of trees in our short walk. However, one of the highlights of this stretch of Lake has always been the array of red-flowering gums, in a variety of colors beyond red. Specimens of this species (Corymbia ficifolia), along with its close relative marri (Corymbia calophylla) and likely hybrids of the two species, are among the largest and showiest in the city. We firmly believe that this is the city’s most beautiful flowering tree and wish the city would plant more of it.

Today’s walk begins at the northwest corner of Lake Street and 7th Avenue. It leads west to 11th Avenue, with a side excursion north on 9th Avenue. At 11th, it crosses to the south side of Lake and returns to 7th Avenue, with a couple of side excursions along the way. This walk is about a mile in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 23. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

Lake Street, 7th to 8th, north side

1. 628 Lake Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), SE USA

2. 628 Lake Carolina cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana), SE USA (usually grown as a shrub or in a hedge)

Lake Street, 8th to 9th, north side

3. 700 Lake Italian bay tree or Grecian laurel (Laurus nobilis), Mediterranean Basin (leaves of this tree are the bay leaves used in cooking)

4. 700 Lake Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), E Australia

5. 726 Lake Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), E Asia

**Turn right on 9th Avenue and continue north to the end of the sidewalk**

End of 9th, just inside Mountain Lake Park

6. Lacebark or houhere in Mãori (Hoheria populnea), New Zealand/Aotearoa (trees are on the north side of the walking trail that parallels Lake; note the white flowers that appear in autumn; an undeservedly rare plant in SF gardens and parks)

Lake Street, 9th to 10th, north side

7. 814 Lake Willow-leaf peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii), SE Australia (one of the largest specimens of this tree in the city)

8. 830 Lake Marri (Corymbia calophylla), SW Australia (looks like a white-flowered version of Corymbia ficifolia, #10, but this is a distinct species with white flowers and differently shaped fruits

Lake Street, 10th to 11th, north side

9. 944 Lake Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolia), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay

Lake Street, 11th to 12th, north side

10. 1016 Lake Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), SW Australia (many beautiful specimens on this street, in a variety of colors other than red; usually flowers in summer, but some produce a few flowers at other seasons in the city; we do not understand why the city is no longer planting this amazing tree; note the garden of succulents around the base of this tree and in front of the next house)

*The beautiful pale pink gum at 1040 Lake may be a hybrid of Corymbia ficifolia and C. calophylla.

11. 1050 Lake Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), SE Australia (tree is on 12th Avenue at the corner)

***Cross Lake to the south side; despite this being a slow street, be wary of the occasional automobile***

Lake Street, 12th to 11th, south side

12. 1041 Lake New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand

13. 1021 Lake Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), E Australia

14. 1011 Lake Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), S Asia to N Australia

15. 107 - 11th Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), SW Australia (tree is on Lake; this specimen has bright pink flowers)

Lake Street, 11th to 10th, south side

16. 937 Lake English hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata), W & C Europe (this will have pink flowers in late spring)

17. 937 Lake Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana), SE Brazil (usually a shrub, sometimes a tree; notable for its intense purple flowers; loves San Francisco’s climate)

18. 901 Lake Coast silk tassel (Garrya elliptica), coastal CA native, from Big Sur to central Oregon (tree is in the rear garden, visible over the fence on Lake Street; watch for the flowers in winter, long pendant creamy white tassels; normally a large shrub, this has been shaped into a small tree)

*Note the soft crimson flowers on another specimen of red-flowering gum along Lake Street; the flowers are conveniently just above eye level.

10th Avenue, just south of Lake, west side

19. 111 - 10th London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica), hybrid of E USA species and European species; it is among the most commonly planted trees in cities around the world)

20. 127 - 10th Washington thorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) E USA (white flowers in late spring; beware of the long thorns on the branches)

***Cross 10th carefully; this is not a slow street***

10th Avenue, just south of Lake, east side

21. 134 - 10th Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia (among the largest specimens of this tree in the city; intensely fragrant white flowers cycle through the year)

**Return to Lake and head east to 9th Avenue**

9th Avenue, just south of Lake, west side

22. 109 - 9th Saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana), hybrid of E Asian species, developed in France (note the fuzzy flower buds; they will open during winter with big pink flowers

23. 100 - 9th Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan

Closeup of the bark of evergreen pear (*Pyrus kawakamii*)

**Return to Lake and head east to 7th Avenue, noting more red-flowering gums along the way**

Today’s walk ends at Lake Street and 7th Avenue, where it began.

Red Flowering Gum Trees get some Attention!

August 02, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

Regular readers here may know that red flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia) are my favorite tree species in San Francisco. They have spectacularly vivid clusters of red, orange, pink or white flowers that are at their peak right now (peak is July and August). My brother from Upstate New York visited San Francisco a few years ago - he hadn’t been here in a very long time, and he’s not really into trees, but when we passed a red gum in my neighborhood in full bloom, he suddenly stopped our conversation to ask me: “WOW, what is THAT”?

In addition to the eye-catching flowers, this tree absolutely loves San Francisco conditions. You will never see one in Sacramento, and it’s not going to be happy in Walnut Creek or Concord or Pleasanton - but it thrives here in our cool, maritime conditions. That’s not surprising, because the tree is native to southwest Australia, near Perth, where there is a similar coastal Mediterranean climate.

So I was very glad when I heard that our local Axios reporters (yes, Axios now has a local San Francisco newsletter) wanted to do a story on red flowering gums. You can read it here - it just came out, and yours truly snuck in a quote, to bemoan the fact that our Bureau of Urban Forestry in its wisdom has decided to stop planting San Francisco’s best tree (like, zero in the last year).

Why have we put the skids on planting red flowering gums? The official reason, from a spokesperson for San Francisco’s Public Works department, is that they need “a very large basin and wide sidewalk” to accommodate their size. OK … so that might explain why we are planting fewer of them, or only planting them in certain neighborhoods or on certain streets - but zero? I suspect the real answer is that Public Works doesn’t relish the future cost of maintaining large trees. Proposition E, which passed with 79% of the vote in 2017, provided funding to the City to maintain street trees, and shifted the responsibility for maintaining street trees to the City. Prior to that time, Public Works was happy to permit red flowering gums, because it was the homeowner’s responsibility, but since then - not so much.

But is cost a reason to abandon San Francisco’s best tree? Should we ditch the cable cars because they’re expensive? Just like the cable cars, these trees are part of what makes this wonderful city wonderful, especially in July and August, when tourists throng San Francisco.

So hey, Public Works, lighten up a bit - so we don’t have to say a long good-bye to San Francisco’s best tree!

https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2022/08/02/gum-trees-flowering-bloom-san-francisco

Trees of Provincetown

August 01, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

Provincetown is one of my “happy places” - starting in the late ‘90s, I visited for a week each summer for a a decade or so. It’s a wonderful East Coast beach vacation spot, but also has the New England historical 1700s vibe going for it - pilgrims’ first landing spot, old Congregationalist churches, white federal style houses with black and green shutters, etc. And, as you’ll find out in this blog post, Provincetown also has its share of wonderful trees.

I had a chance to return to Provincetown this summer (July 2022), and was lucky to be able to spend a couple of hours walking around town with Margaret Murphy, founder and President of Trees Provincetown, a nonprofit that promotes trees in the town. Margaret showed me a number of her favorite trees, and also also pointed out some trees that were recently planted through her organization.

Margaret Murphy, under one of Provincetown’s nicest horse chestnut trees at 17 Tremont Street

Many of the the new trees are “Princeton elms” - a cultivar of American elm (Ulmus americana) that has some resistance to Dutch elm disease. The Princeton elms that I saw around town seemed to be flourishing.

a Princeton elm (*Ulmus americana ‘*Princeton’) at 46 Bradford Street

American elms were the dominant street tree of most cities of the northeast until Dutch elm disease wiped out most elms in the 20th century, and I suspect Provincetown also lost most of its elms to disease. However, the town still has some spectacular American elms with their classic V-shaped canopy - my favorite was the tree at 46 Commercial. I stopped to photograph the tree, and the residents mentioned to me that the tree had been treated (presumably with a fungicide) for Dutch elm disease.

American elm (*Ulmus americana*) at 46 Commercial Street

One of the most majestic trees in Provincetown is a huge little leaf linden tree (Tilia cordata) in the middle of town - on Portuguese Square between Commercial and Bradford Streets. If Provincetown ever adopts a landmark tree ordinance, this tree would get my vote!

little leaf linden tree (*Tilia cordata*) on Portuguese Square between Commercial and Bradford Streets

Another Provincetown “best in town” tree is the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) at 240 Commercial Street, right in the busiest part of town. It’s the best horse chestnut in town.

Now for a tree on the east side of Provincetown - the beautiful northern catalpa tree (Catalpa speciosa) in a beautifully landscaped yard at 558 Commercial Street. This is a tree we never see in San Francisco, so it was a treat to see this tree again - I remember ite from the 1990s when we used to visit Ptown every summer.

northern catalpa tree (*Catalpa speciosa*) at 558 Commercial Street

Another impressive east end tree (and the best of its species that I was able to find in town) was a huge Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) across from 5 Court Street.

Sycamore maple (*Acer pseudoplatanus)* across from 5 Court Street

A pleasant bike ride north from town takes you to some beautiful bike trails, one of which loops around a beech forest, where you’ll find red maples, sassafras trees, and my favorite east coast tree, the American beech (Fagus grandifolia).

American beech (*Fagus grandifolia*) in Provincetown’s beech forest

Spiritus Pizza is an iconic Provincetown restaurant - in summertime when the bars close at 1AM (it’s Massachusetts - so yes, at 1AM), everyone pours into the street and ends up in a massive crowd outside Spiritus. So I had to ID the tree next to Spiritus - it’s a deciduous pear tree (Pyrus calleryana).

deciduous pear tree (*Pyrus calleryana*) outside Spiritus Pizza

There’s one tree that is forbidden to plant in Provincetown (and the rest of Massachusetts), and for good reason - the Norway maple (Acer platanoides). The northeastern US has so many wonderful maples - sugar maples, red maples, silver maples - that are native to the region and thrive there. Why plant a dull non-native that can’t hold up to the locals, but is aggressively invasive? And even worse in my opinion is the planting the purple-leafed cultivar of this tree - Norway maple ‘Crimson King’. I’m sorry if you have one in your front yard, but my advice if you’re thinking of planting this tree: don’t do this.

Norway maple (*Acer platanoides*) on Commercial Street in the west end of Provincetown

Speaking of sugar maples (one of my favorite trees of all time), they are hard to find in Provincetown. I suspect they aren’t well adapted to the sandy soil that is found in most of the town. I only found one sugar maple (Acer saccharum) in all of my bike travels - across from 11 Race Road, north of Bradford Street.

sugar maple (*Acer saccharum*) across from 11 Race Road

The west end of Provincetown is especially dense with mature landmark trees. Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) are near the northern end of their range in this part of Massachusetts, but there’s a lovely mature tulip tree at 3 Tremont Street, near the intersection with Commercial Street.

Tulip tree (*Liriodendron tulipifera*) at 3 Tremont Street, near the intersection with Commercial Street

I’ll end on a sad note. My favorite tree from our prior decade of visiting Provincetown was a spectacular, massive Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) at the intersection where Commercial, Tremont and Franklin Streets intersect in the west end of town. In my opinion it was the landmark tree of Provincetown. Sadly, it has seen better days, and Margaret Murphy shared with me that she thinks it may not last more than a few more years. Apparently some sewer work on Commercial Street in front of the tree damaged its roots and sent it into decline. I wish I had a photo of it in its former glory; but in lieu of that, the photo below shows the tree in July 2022.

Japanese pagoda tree (*Styphnolobium japonicum*) at the intersection of Commercial, Tremont and Franklin Streets

Jason Dewees, Sairus Patel, Mike Sullivan and Richard Turner - Sairus joined us to create our first-ever 4 person tour!

Noe Valley "Uber-South" Tree Tour (7-2-22)

July 04, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

The fog rolled in on July 4th weekend, as it so often does in San Francisco, diminishing the drama of Friday evening’s fireworks display and dimming hopes for a sunny day at the beach for Monday. But the tree geeks braved the chill, dampness, and cold winds to chalk out our 40th tree walk. We returned to Noe Valley, site of our first walk in 2020, focusing this time on the southeast corner of that neighborhood—an easily navigated flat stretch of the valley, along and either side of Sanchez Slow Street (our prior walk can be found here at sftrees.com as the Noe Valley South tour; this one ventured even further south so we’ve dubbed it “uber-South”). We met at Noë Cafe, which opened during the pandemic and has become a popular neighborhood hangout at the corner of Sanchez and 26th streets. One of the cafe’s owners is the brother of Matt Ritter, a tree geek of the highest order and author of A Californian’s Guide to the Trees Among Us and California Plants: A Guide to Our Iconic Flora—both of which are on sale in the cafe and should be in every plant-lover’s library.

We were joined on this walk by Sairus Patel, one of Palo Alto’s preeminent tree geeks. Sairus has been updating the database of the trees of Stanford campus and will soon be publishing a revised edition of Ronald Bracewell’s Trees of Stanford and Environs, originally published in 2005. A lot has happened, tree-wise, since then. Sairus was a delight to have along and helped with the identification of a couple trees on our walk.

Today’s walk begins at the northeast corner of Sanchez and 26th streets; take time for coffee or a tasty treat at Noë Cafe. The route heads east to Church Street, south on Church to 27th Street, west on 27th to Sanchez, south on Sanchez to Duncan Street, east on Duncan back to Church, and then continues south on Church to 28th Street, west on 28th to Sanchez, south on Sanchez to 29th, west on 29th to Noe Street, South on Noe to Day Street, east on Day to Sanchez, and finally north on Sanchez to its start at 26th. Be forewarned that, on this last leg along Sanchez, the route crosses and mingles with earlier segments of today’s route. This walk is a little over 1 ½ miles in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 55. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

The street addresses provided below will help when the chalk has faded. Most of the trees on this walk are planted in pockets in the sidewalk pavement; a few are planted within the front gardens of the homes along the route; and one is on the grounds of the old Kate Kennedy school building.

26th Street, Sanchez to Church, north side

1. 3982 - 26th Kermadec Islands pōhutukawa (Metrosideros kermadecensis), Kermadec Islands, New Zealand

Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) - not at 3958 26th; we saw this one a little further on…

2. 3958 - 26th Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (these heat loving trees were seldom seen in Noe Valley until about 20 years ago; now there are quite a few, and they seem happy—all thanks to climate change)

3. 3948 - 26th Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’), Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria (a beautifully shaped specimen)

4. 3922 - 26th Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Eastern Australia (feel the spongy bark)

Church Street, 26th to 27th, west side

5. 1420 Church American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Eastern USA to Mexico and Central America (these trees are notorious for their surface roots; note how this tree’s roots have formed a square reflecting the size and shape of an earlier sidewalk pocket)

6. 1454 Church Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), East and Southeast Australia (note the spectacular bark; there are other specimens in the neighborhood)

7. 1480 Church Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), Eastern Australia (this is a giant specimen of this species; others in the neighborhood have been heavily pruned to control their size)

27th Street, Church to Sanchez, north side

8. 325 - 27th Hybrid red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia x calophylla), Soutwest Australia (the tree is across the street; note the open clusters of pale pink flowers)

9. 318 - 27th Hercules tree aloe (Aloidendron ‘Hercules’), hybrid of two South African species (this is a relatively slow grower, but will reach tree-like proportions in a few years)

Flame tree (*Koelreuteria* species) - we’re still figuring this one out - it’s either K. elegans or K. bipinnata; we’ll come back when it’s flowering to figure it out. Whichever one it is, it’s a City Champion - the best specimen in San Francisco!

10. 350 - 27th flame tree (Koelreuteria species), East Asia (this is clearly a city champion of a species we could not identify for certain; it’s the only one in the city, as far as we know)

11. 1399 Sanchez Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), Southeast Australia (this tree is on 27th; it has been beautifully pruned and shaped)

12. 1399 Sanchez Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (this tree is on 27th). The tree was first introduced in San Francisco in the Pan-American Exposition of 1915; after the expo a plant nursery in the Marina acquired some specimens that eventually found their way to the nursery trade – hence the “Marina” name.

Sanchez Street, 27th to Duncan, east side

13. 1415 Sanchez European weeping birch (Betula pendula), Eurasia and North Africa (a pair of trees with distinctive white bark; not usually well-adapted to San Francisco)

14. 1435 Sanchez Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Eastern Australia (this tree grows in stream-side locations in the wild, hence the common name; San Francisco’s most commonly planted street tree)

Duncan Street, Sanchez to Church, north side

15. 342 Duncan Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia (there are numerous specimens in the neighborhood, many of them, like this one, decades old)

16. 340 Duncan Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Korea and Japan (a particularly pronounced red-leafed selection)

17. 338 Duncan Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil

18. 330 Duncan Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (last of an ancient lineage of gymnosperms)

19. 324 Duncan Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (there are four trees nearby)

20. 316 Duncan Holly olive or false holly (Osmanthus heterophyllus), Japan and Taiwan (the leaves of this species are typically spiny, like holly; this selection is more or less spineless)

21. 314 Duncan Giant bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), South Africa (note the huge flowers)

a little volunteer California poppy (*Eschscholzia californica*) that we saw on a sidewalk along the way

Church Street, Duncan to 28th, west side

22. 1562 Church River wattle (Acacia cognata), Southeast Australia

28th Street, Church to Sanchez, north side

23. 208 - 28th Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia (4 trees on 28th and more on Church)

24. 251 - 28th Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Ireland to Portugal and the Mediterranean (this tree is across the street; a beautifully shaped specimen, one of the largest in San Francisco)

25. 265 - 28th Prickly melaleuca (Melaleuca styphelioides), Eastern Australia (this tree is across the street). This specimen is uncharacteristic of the species’ normally weeping form.

26. 270 - 28th Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia

27. 282 - 28th Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru to Chile

28. 1499 Sanchez Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii), Japan and South Korea (this tree is on 28th Street)

Sanchez Street, just north of 28th, east side

29. 1489 Sanchez Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis), west and central China (not commonly planted in San Francisco since it needs greater summer heat to develop its spectacular fall foliage colors)

30. 1485 Sanchez Trident maple (Acer buergerianum), East Asia

**Return to 28th and cross to the west side of Sanchez**

Sanchez Street, 28th to 29th, west side

31. 1500 Sanchez Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (tree is on 28th; San Francisco’s best flowering tree)

32. 1500 Sanchez Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), China and Vietnam (this species seldom does well in San Francisco, but these are doing beautifully)

33. 1510 Sanchez Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (4 trees planted in the front garden)

Coast live oak (*Quercus agrifolia*) - the largest one on San Francisco’s streets!

34. 1514 Sanchez Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), San Francisco and California native; Baja to Mendocino, always within 30 miles of the coast (this specimen is a city champion: the largest on the City’s streets —a truly magnificent tree)

35. 1521 Sanchez Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolia), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay (this tree is across the street; it has been shaped over the years into a broad gumdrop)

36. 1560 Sanchez Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (compare this species with another Callery pear next to it; note the different bark characteristics and the leaf spots on this species)

29th Street, Sanchez to Noe, north side

37. 422 - 29th Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (intensely fragrant white flowers cycle through the year)

38. 427 - 29th Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum), Eastern Australia (this tree is across the street; the fragrant yellow flowers appear in late spring through much of the summer; this tree often grows tall and narrow at first, eventually widening its canopy)

39. [not used]

40. 454 - 29th Hybrid pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa x kermadecensis), New Zealand mainland and Kermadec Islands (the rounded leaves, relatively few aerial roots, and winter flowers suggest that this tree is a hybrid)

41. 477 - 29th Forest Pansy eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’), Eastern USA and NE Mexico (this tree is across the street; come back in spring for its bright magenta flowers)

Noe Street, just north of 29th, west side

42. 1590 Noe Natchez crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x ‘Natchez’), hybrid of East Asian species (developed by the National Arboretum in DC; notable for its beautifully mottled bark, outstanding fall color, and its mildew resistant foliage, making it a good choice for San Francisco; its flowers are white)

Noe Street, 29th to Day, west side

43. 1603 Noe Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Norfolk Island, Australia (tree is towering above the rear of the buildings across the street)

Snow-in-summer tree or flax-leaf paperbark (*Melaleuca linariifolia*) - you can see a bit of the “snow” on this tree as it’s blooming now :)

43b. 1620 Noe Snow-in-summer tree or flax-leaf paperbark (Melaleuca linariifolia), Eastern Australia (feel the spongy bark; white flowers cover the tree in summer)

44. 1620 Noe Champak (Magnolia champaca) South and Southeast Asia (pale orange flowers are intensely fragrant)

45. 400 Day Swamp paperbark (Melaleuca ericifolia), Southeast Australia (this tree is on Noe)

46. 400 Day Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Southeast USA (this tree is within the private garden, on the corner; a particularly well shaped specimen)

At the southwest corner of Noe and Day streets sits the Mission Education Center, occupying the old Kate Kennedy Building; at the nearest corner is a small grove of Monterey pines:

47. Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), California native: Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, plus Cedros and Guadalupe islands, MX (most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber)

Day Street, Noe to Sanchez, north side

48. entire block of Day Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (the trees are on the other side of the street; formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree; it is usually in flower by early February)

49. 350 Day Helene Strybing tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Helene Strybing’) New Zealand (named for the benefactress of the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, originally known as Strybing Arboretum)

50. 336 Day Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), West Coast and Rocky Mountains to Southern Mexico (needle leaves, a California native tree!)

51. 332 Day Weeping willow (Salix sp.), Eastern North America or Asia (the many species look a lot alike)

**For a quick detour, continue east to 238 Day to see a small specimen of golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) in flower in July; compare the leaves to those of the flame tree at #10.

**Walk north on Sanchez Street, in the direction of Noe Cafe**

Sanchez Street, 29th to Valley, east side

52. 1545 Sanchez Australian tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum), Southeast Australia

53. 1539 Sanchez Gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla), Brazil (when more mature, this tree will produce clusters of golden yellow flowers at the top of the tree; at its base is a seedling locust, or Robinia pseudoacacia, which can be weedy in our area)

54. 1507 Sanchez Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), Southern Asia to Australia (there are a great many of these trees in the neighborhood, particularly along Church and Dolores streets)

Sanchez Street, Valley to Duncan, east side

Note: you will pass trees #29 and 30 as you walk north on this side of Sanchez

55. 1451 Sanchez Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonia), Australia and South Pacific Islands (this specimen shows the typical pyramidal shape of this species)

Today’s walk ends here at Sanchez and Duncan streets. Noe Cafe is three blocks further north. In the next block, between Duncan and 27th, you will pass trees #13 and 14.

Reiter Garden Tour 5-29-22

May 30, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

The Reiter family garden, wedged between Stanyan Street, Woodland Avenue and the Sutro Forest, was once a commercial nursery run by Victor Reiter, Jr., one of the founders of the California Horticultural Society and San Francisco‘s most famous grower, hybridizer and collector of plants and trees. The garden is still in the family’s hands, with two of Reiter’s children still residing on the west side of Stanyan Street. Charlie Reiter and his wife Karen generously opened the garden to members of the California Horticultural Society on Sunday, May 29 - it was my first time in the garden, although I’ve peered over the adjoining fences may times!

fan aloes, agaves and California poppies

*Metrosideros robusta* (northern rata) from New Zealand; I think this one is the largest of the species in San Francisco

*Metrosideros excelsa* ‘Aurea’ (yellow-blooming New Zealand Christmas tree) with one of the longer aerial roots I’ve seen!

*Pachystegia insignis* (Marlborough Rock Daisy) from New Zealand

Yerba Buena Gardens Tree Tour (4-30-22)

May 01, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

Yerba Buena Gardens is one of the green jewels of downtown San Francisco, surrounded by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Moscone Center, and the Metreon Mall. Views of the surrounding skyline are magnificent from within the Gardens.

Today’s walk begins at the east side entrance to the Gardens, on 3rd Street opposite the entrance to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It heads west into the Gardens and follows the broad walkway that encircles the main lawn. It continues in a clockwise direction around the lawn. This walk is less than a half mile in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 18. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

Since there are no street addresses within the Gardens, we have merely noted that the trees are on the right or left of the walkway, as we traveled in a clockwise direction around the central lawn.

**Begin on the entry walk from 3rd Street, heading west into Yerba Buena Gardens**

1. Left side Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South Asia to Australia (in the raised bed along the north side of the Blue Shield of California Theater )

2. Left side Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japan, China, Korea (a grid of 9 trees in a raised square bed)

**Continue west to the main walkway that encircles the central lawn**

3. Right side Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam (in a slightly raised bed just southwest of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts)

4. Right side Akebono flowering cherry (Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’), Japan (in the lawn; a few pale pink flowers remain)

**Continue west on the main walkway past the MLK Jr Fountain on the left**

5. Left side Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (2 trees in the bed just west of the Fountain)

6. Left side Tasmanian tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica), SE Australia (several trees in the bed west of the Fountain)

**Follow the main walkway to the first semi-circular sitting area on the right**

7. Right side American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Eastern USA to Mexico and Central America (2 trees planted within the pavement of the semi-circular sitting area)

8. Right side Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (several trees planted in the lawn due east of the semi-circular sitting area; intensely fragrant white flowers cycle through the year)

**Continue walking in a clockwise direction around the main lawn**

9. Right side Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), San Francisco and California native; Baja to Mendocino, always within 30 miles of the coast (planted in the lawn, between the Victorian box and the small grove of redwoods)

10. Right side Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to southwest Oregon; California coastal native (a grove of 5 trees; this species is the tallest tree in the world)

11. Left side Little Gem magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’), southeastern USA (2 trees planted in the lawn terraces between the main walkway and Mission Street)

12. Right side Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (several trees in this northeast corner of the Gardens)

**Turn right onto the narrower paved walkway that leads toward the center of the main lawn**

13. Left side California buckeye (Aesculus californica ), a California and San Francisco native tree! (2 trees with gray trunks, which have, unfortunately, been marred by visitors’ initials; a deciduous tree that begins leafing out in February; flowers are just now opening)

14. Left side Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco; flowering has just ended; strawberry-like fruits will color up in the fall)

15. Left side Saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana), hybrid of Easte Asian species, developed in France

16. Right side Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp.), Asia (in the lawn; watch for summer flowers and glorious fall color in the leaves)

17. Left side London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica), hybrid of eastern USA species and European species (several trees in this eastern quadrant of the Gardens)

**Cross the paved “stage”**

18. Right side Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), Mediterranean Basin (2 relatively young trees, one on each side of the stage; the source of pine nuts/pignoli)

Today’s walk ends at this point, along the paved walkway that returns to the main walk that encircles the lawn.

If you have the time, consider visiting the upper terrace, above the MLK Jr Fountain, to see the Sister City Gardens and a few repeat trees (saucer magnolias, Tasmanian tree ferns, Victorian boxes, liquidambars, and California buckeyes). Then take the pedestrian bridge over Howard Street (beginning near the big “Metreon” sign) to the southern extension of Yerba Buena Gardens and the Children’s Playground.

The Howard Street bridge is planted with low beds of a variety of succulents, many of them in flower at this season. Once across Howard, note the ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) on the terraces near the Carousel. As the bridge turns to the left, a stunning specimen of crape myrtle can be seen below in the raised bed opposite the entrance to The Theater. Large coast live oaks are on the east side of the semi-circular lawn panels of the Yerba Buena Public Square; on the west side of the larger lawn panel is a row of purple leaf plums (Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’)—some of the finest specimens in the city. Surrounding the Children’s Playground are olives (Olea europaea) and more London plane trees. Along the south side of the higher portions of Moscone South is an avenue of Chinese pistache trees (Pistacia chinensis).

Trees of Sicily

April 17, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

Paul and I just spent a week in Sicily - on the 37th parallel, so almost exactly the same latitude as San Francisco, and with a Mediterranean climate similar to California’s (not much rain in the summer, mild and rainy winters). Unlike San Francisco, the summers in Sicily are very hot, but we were there in April, so the fields were still green and temperatures were in the 60s (fahrenheit). Our trip took us clockwise from Syracuse to Noto to Ragusa to Agrigento to Selinunte to Segesta, and finally to Palermo, so we missed the northern coast and the most of the center of the island.

a couple date palms (*Phoenix dactylifera*) in Palermo

An overall comment: there’s not a lot of native forest left in Sicily, at least in the southern and western parts of the island that we visited. One of my favorite days was spent taking some back roads north of the main highway from Noto to Ragusa, where we saw some of the most beautiful scenery of the trip - agricultural landscapes with olive, citrus and almond orchards, “tree tunnels” of native Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), and lots of carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua) that appeared to be there for commercial purposes - we saw carob bars sold in the local shops nearby.

a carob tree (*Ceratonia siliqua*) in a field on a back road northeast of Noto, with poppies and garland daisies in foreground

terraced fields northeast of Noto, with almond trees (*Prunus dulcis*) in the foreground

a “tree tunnel” of Italian stone pines (*Pinus pinea*) near Agrigento

The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is spectacular and one of the highlights of any trip to Sicily, with its well-preserved Greek ruins dating to the 6th century BC. But many people miss the Garden of the Kolymbetra that’s adjacent to the ruins, created by the Moors much later when they ruled from the 8th to the 12th centuries - they brought sophisticated irrigation techniques to the site and brought many varieties of citrus trees to complement the local olive and fig trees. Neglected for centuries, the garden has recently been restored - you’ll be able to see dozens of varieties of lemons, mandarins and oranges, as well as olive trees that are many hundreds of years old.

An ancient olive (*Olea europaea*) at the Garden of the Kolymbetra in Agrigento

But in Sicily you don’t just see olives in ancient gardens - they’re everywhere. Olives still seem to be the number one agricultural product of the island, at least in the parts that we visited.

an olive orchard in western Siciliy, near Segeste

We saw mediterranean fan palms (Chamaerops humilis) everywhere - it’s the palm with the northernmost native range in the world. This palm is native to Sicily and elsewhere in the Mediterranean, and pops up everywhere - in well manicured city gardens, and even in the ruins of ancient Greek temples.

A mediterranean fan palm (*Chamaerops humilis*) growing amid the ruins of the archaeological park at Selinunte

Our final tree destinations were in Palermo. The Palazzo dei Normanni (or Royal Palace) of Palermo has been the seat of the kings and other rulers of Sicily, and since 1946 it has been the seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly. Your ticket to the palace also gets you into the beautiful and well-kept adjacent gardens.

a bismarck palm (*Bismarckia nobilis*) in the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo

a Canary Islands dragon tree (*Dracaena draco*) in the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo

And two kilometers to the east, near the harbor, is the City’s botanical garden. The garden has some spectacular specimens, including a gigantic Moreton bay fig (Ficus macrophylla v. columnaris), a cook pine (Araucaria columnaris) that is apparently the tallest tree in Palermo, and some amazing allees of silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa). We were visiting in mid-April, so the Ceibas weren’t in bloom, but I’m guessing that they’re amazing later in the summer.

a Moreton bay fig (*Ficus macrophylla v. columnaris)* in the Palermo botanical garden. That’s me standing behind one of the buttressing roots of the tree.

One of the allees of silk floss tree (*Ceiba speciosa*) in the Palermo botanical garden

close up of silk floss tree (*Ceiba speciosa*)

Van Ness median - wondering what those new trees are?

March 03, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

[edit: can someone let me know why this post from March is suddenly getting 100s of hits? Must have been a story on Van Ness BRT + trees, but I haven’t seen it. Comment below or send me an email at michaelsullivan415 [at] gmail.com.]

The “bus rapid transit” upgrade to Van Ness Avenue has taken for-ev-er. Planning for the project began in 2004, and it was scheduled for completion in 2012. But after 9 years of delay, the project is finally coming to fruition. And you may have noticed that the most recent development is dozens and dozens of tall, skinny trees that have been planted along the entire length of Van Ness.

Curious about the species? Many people have been guessing eucalyptus, and they’re not far off. The trees are lemon-scented gums - the scientific name is Corymbia citriodora, so technically they’re not Eucalyptus. It’s a tree that we don’t see much in San Francisco; it’s more common in Southern California. It’s a tall, graceful tree from northeastern Australia, notable for its smooth whitish bark.

My personal view is that this tree has the potential to be a big success on Van Ness. If you’d like to see some larger specimens, check out Mission Street just south of Duboce, where there are three or four beautiful lemon-scented gums.

At the moment, the trees are ungainly looking - too tall for their trunk width. There’s a reason for that - the trees were custom-grown for the city, and with the long delays in the Bus Rapid Transit project, they ended up in pots for way too long. We may lose a few to wind as a result, but my hope is that they’ll quickly grow into striking trees that will make us all proud!

Hayes Valley/Alamo Square Tree Tour (2-19-22)

February 20, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

On yet another warm and sunny, but disturbingly dry, winter day, we began our walk at Alamo Square Park, known mostly for its iconic views of a row of classic Victorian homes against the backdrop of the downtown skyline—much changed since the homes were built. The park is filled with grassy slopes for sunning and picnicking, along with recent plantings of California native shrubs and perennials combined with climate-appropriate plants from other regions of the world. We then headed down into the lively Hayes Valley neighborhood with its many boutiques and fine eateries.

Today’s walk begins on the south side of Alamo Square, on Hayes Street just west of the Pierce Street steps. Crossing Hayes at Pierce, the walk then heads east down Hayes to Laguna Street, then south on Laguna to Oak Street, west on Oak to Steiner, north on Steiner to Fell, west on Fell one block to Pierce, and back north on Pierce to its start at Hayes. This walk is about one and a half miles in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 35. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

Alamo Square, Hayes at Pierce streets, north side

1. East of the Pierce Street steps Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (one of the three most commonly planted trees in San Francisco’s parks, including this one; a young tree is just above the sidewalk, while most of the tallest trees in the park are this cypress)

Hayes Street, Pierce to Steiner, south side (north side of Ida Wells School)

2. 1099 Hayes Hybrid pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa x kermadecensis), New Zealand mainland and Kermadec Islands (several street trees along the north side of the school property; the rounded leaves, relatively few aerial roots, and winter flowers suggest that this tree may be a hybrid)

3. 1099 Hayes Northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta), North and South Island, New Zealand (less commonly seen in San Francisco than the other species of Metrosideros; note the smaller, shinier leaves)

4. 1045 Hayes Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), Mediterranean Basin

**Cross Hayes and then cross Steiner**

Steiner Street, north of Hayes, east side

5. 700 Steiner Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South Asia to Australia (most of this block of Steiner is planted with these figs, though some are not this cultivar but the straight species)

Hayes Street, Steiner to Fillmore, north side

6. 700 Steiner Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), east and southeast Australia (large trees line both sides of this block of Hayes; red or pink flowers will appear later in the year)

7. 940 Hayes Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California and Sonora, Mexico (2 trees at the inner most end of the courtyard, which is filled with some interesting plants, including flowering yesterday-today-and-tomorrow plant, Brunfelsia pauciflora ‘Floribunda’)

yesterday-today-and-tomorrow plant, *Brunfelsia* *pauciflora* ‘Floribunda’)

Hayes Street, Fillmore to Webster, north side

8. 890 Hayes Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain (a young specimen, having barely developed a trunk; this is the species seen on Market Street and along the Embarcadero)

9. 890 Hayes Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (intensely fragrant white flowers cycle through the year)

10. 830 Hayes Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana), Eastern Australia (this is among the earliest flowering trees in San Francisco, always beginning in January)

11. 830 Hayes Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata), Madagascar (a common house plant, this will survive outdoors in the warmest pockets of San Francisco)

(12 not used)

Hayes Street, Webster to Buchanan, north side

13. 766 Hayes London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica), hybrid of eastern USA species and European species (a row of currently deciduous trees)

13b. 746 Hayes Plum tree (Prunus domestica), Eurasia California buckeye (Aesculus californica ), California; a San Francisco native tree! (about 30 yards inside this delightful garden; a deciduous tree that begins leafing out in February; flowers appear in late spring)

Buchanan Street, north of Hayes, west side

14. 700 Hayes Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), Argentina, Bolivia (several trees are on Buchanan; note the sidewalk garden planted by Friends of the Urban Forest)

**Cross Buchanan and then cross Hayes**

Buchanan Street, south of Hayes, east side

15. 699 Hayes Australian willow or wilga (Geijera parviflora), east and southeast Australia (one tree near the blue-and-black building; this tree generally prefers the warmth of the eastern parts of the city; note another sidewalk garden planted by Friends of the Urban Forest)

Hayes Street, Buchanan to Laguna, south side

16. Hayes Valley Playground American elm (Ulmus americana), eastern North America (note the vase-like shape and pendant outer branches; this tree lined city streets throughout the eastern half of the country until the Dutch elm disease virtually wiped them out)

17. Hayes Valley Playground Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam

18. 645 Hayes Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru to Chile

19. 641 Hayes Gum tree (Eucalyptus species), Australia

20. 525 Laguna Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (tree is on Hayes; San Francisco’s best flowering tree)

Laguna Street, Hayes to Fell, west side

21. 525 Laguna Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia (several trees)

**Continue south on Laguna and turn west (right) on Oak**

Oak Street, Laguna to Buchanan, north side

22. 436 Oak Island oak (Quercus tomentella), California’s Channel Islands (a California native) and Guadalupe Island, Mexico (these young trees represent a new species introduction that should thrive in the city’s climate; also at 428 and 474 Oak)

23. 436 Oak Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis), Guadalupe Island, Mexico (behind the wall; this species is perfectly adapted to San Francisco)

24. 444 Oak Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

25. 452 Oak Yew-plum pine or Japanese podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus), Japan and China (many were planted along this stretch of Oak during the 60s and 70s)

Oak Street, Buchanan to Webster, north side

26. 516 Oak Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (note the large and intensely fragrant white flowers on this young specimen)

27. 522 Oak Tree euphorbia (Euphorbia ingens), Kenya to E South Africa (quite uncommon in San Francisco)

Oak Street, Webster to Fillmore, north side

28. 634 Oak Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (last of an ancient lineage of gymnosperms)

29. 660 Oak Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), southern China

Oak Street, Fillmore to Steiner, north side

30. 712 Oak Jester conebush (Leucadendron ‘Jester’), hybrid of South African species

31. 730 Oak Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeastern USA

Steiner Street, Oak to Fell, east side

32. 590 Steiner Bracelet honey myrtle (Melaleuca armillaris), southeastern Australia (a City Champion; San Francisco’s largest specimen of this species!)

**Cross Steiner and head west on Fell**

Fell Street, Steiner to Pierce, south side

33. 563 Steiner Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (a row on Steiner and a few more on Fell)

**Note large specimen of holly-leafed cherry or islay (Prunus ilicifolius) above the wall, just south of 625 Steiner (half a block north on Steiner); a Calfornia and San Francisco native tree!

34. 939 Fell Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia

Fell Street, east of Pierce, north side

35. 944 Fell Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), San Francisco and California native; Baja to Mendocino, always within 30 miles of the coast (several trees above the beautiful mosaic wall, just east of Pierce Street)

Today’s walk ends at Pierce and Hayes streets, one block to the north of the mosaic wall.

Ingleside Terraces Tree Tour (2-6-22)

February 08, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

The master-planned residential community known today as Ingleside Terraces was originally the site of a racetrack. Built in 1895 for horse racing, the track hosted the first automobile races in San Francisco in 1900. Used for temporary housing following the 1906 earthquake, the neighborhood was soon transformed into a suburban-like community of detached single-family homes by 1912. Today, it is a diverse community of well-tended homes and gardens, with Urbano Drive tracing the original layout of the racetrack.

Today’s walk begins at the Sundial Circle on Entrada Court. It heads northeast from the Circle on Entrada to Borica Street, then north on Borica to Urbano Drive, west on Urbano, and north on Moncada Way to Cerritos Avenue. At Cerritos, it heads west to Mercedes Way, jogs northeast on Mercedes to Cedro Avenue, then returns on Mercedes to Lunado Way, heading south on Lunado all the way to Holloway Avenue. At Holloway, the walk turns east and continues on Holloway to Alviso, north on Alviso to Urbano, west on Urbano for several houses, then crosses Urbano and returns east to Borica, north on Borica to Entrada, and finally northeast on Entrada, back to the start of the walk at the Sundial Circle. This walk is just under two miles in length.

Our trio of tree geeks responsible for this tour is the same: Jason Dewees (author of Designing with Palms), Richard Turner (retired editor of Pacific Horticulture), and I’m Mike Sullivan, author of Trees of San Francisco.

Entrada Court, Sundial Circle to Borica, south side

1. 45 Entrada Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (one of the three most commonly planted trees in Golden Gate Park and the Presidio)

**Cross Entrada carefully**

Entrada Court, northeast to Borica, north side

2. 26 Entrada Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Ireland to Portugal and the Mediterranean (2 trees)

3. 16 Entrada Purple Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’), eastern Australia (this is usually among the earliest flowering trees in SF, always beginning in January; these 2 trees may be too young to flower)

4. 2 Entrada New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (a fine specimen)

5. 2 Entrada Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), southern China and Vietnam

Borica Street, Entrada to Urbano, west side

6. 2 Entrada Kapuka (Griselinia littoralis), New Zealand (on Borica; a row of trees shaped into a tall hedge to mark the property line)

Urbano Drive, Borica to Moncada, north side

7. 274 Urbano Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeast USA (2 beautiful trees)

8. 298 Urbano Loquat (Rhaphiolepis loquata, syn. Eriobotrya japonica), southeast China, Vietnam, and Taiwan (watch for edible fruits later in the year)

Moncada Way, Urbano to Cerritos, west side

9. 298 Urbano Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to southwest Oregon; CA coastal native (tree is on Moncada; this species is the tallest tree in the world)

Cerritos Avenue, Moncada to Mercedes, north side

10. 100 Cerritos Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’), Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria

11. 100 Cerritos Hybrid pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa x kermadecensis), New Zealand (the rounded leaves, relatively few aerial roots, and winter flowers suggest that this tree may be a hybrid)

12. 125 Cerritos Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (across the street; note the large and intensely fragrant white flowers on this very young specimen)

13. 142 Cerritos Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lactea), Western China (notable around town for its bright red berries in winter; a potentially invasive weedy shrub if not watched)

**Cross Mercedes carefully and head northeast a yards**

Mercedes Way, Cerritos to Cedro, north side

14. 35 Mercedes Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’), a cultivar of species native from Ireland and the Baltics to Morocco and Iran (2 trees with branches to the ground)

15. 25 Mercedes Burgundy peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa ‘Burgundy’), southwest Australian cultivar (only the new foliage has the bronzy or purplish color; compare with the cultivar ‘Afterdark’ at #24)

**Cross Mercedes again at Cerritos, and then cross Cerritos to get to Lunado**

Lunado Way, Mercedes to Lunado Court, east side

16. 195 Lunado Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

Lunado Court, east of Lunado Way

17. 176 Lunado Ct Japanese cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica), Japan and China (national tree of Japan, where it is known as “sugi”)

18. 156 Lunado Ct Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Ireland to Portugal and the Mediterranean (a beautifully shaped specimen, one of the largest in SF)

Lunado Way, south of Lunado Court, east side

19. 140 Lunado Fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), East and South Africa (a row of 4 trees)

**Cross Lunado Way carefully**

Lunado Way, south to Estero, west side

20. 133 Lunado Sawara cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera, golden cultivar), central and southern Japan (the new foliage has a golden tint)

21. 117 Lunado Birch (Betula species), Northern Hemisphere

22. 111 Lunado Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru to Chile

23. 101 Lunado English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia and North Africa (note the heavy fruiting)

24. 101 Lunado After Dark peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa ‘Jervis Bay Afterdark’), southwest Australian cultivar (often less vigorous than the green-leafed species)

25. 101 Lunado Pasopaya palm (Parajubaea torallyi), Andes of Bolivia (5 specimens of this rare species of palm are along Estero, within the front garden)

26. 101 Lunado Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), Mediterranean Basin: Portugal and Morocco to Tunisia and Italy (northernmost natural range of any palm in the world)

Lunado Way and Estero, northeast corner

27. 95 Estero New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’), New Zealand (across the intersection; two small trees, near the homes, with tiny dark green leaves and small pink flowers in winter)

Lunado Way, Estero to Holloway, west side

28. 75 Lunado 3 citrus trees (Citrus cultivars), South and East Asian species and hybrids (against the fence)

29. 65 Lunado Paperbark maple (Acer griseum), Central China (2 young trees; note the richly colored peeling bark)

30. 45 Lunado Australian willow or wilga (Geijera parviflora), eastern and southeastern Australia (this tree generally prefers the warmth of the eastern parts of the city; note the seedling of Washingtonia robusta near its base; see #36)

31. 45 Lunado Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’), Eurasia (a selection of purple-leaf plum from a Bakersfield nursery)

32. 30 Lunado Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’), Southern China and Japan to southeast Asia (across the street)

33. 5 Lunado Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), CA native: Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, plus Cedros and Guadalupe islands, MX (most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber)

Beverly Street, south of Holloway

34. 901 Junipero Serra Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain (tree is at the southwest corner of Beverly and Holloway)

35. 1385 Holloway Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), Mediterranean Basin (tree is across the street on the east side of Beverly; the source of pine nuts/pignoli)

Holloway Avenue, Lunado to Monticello, south side

36. 1385 Holloway Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California and Sonora, Mexico (3 trees)

37. 1385 Holloway Pindo palm (Butia odorata), southeastern Brazil and Uruguay

**Continue east on Holloway to Alviso, cross Holloway, and head north on Alviso**

Alviso Street, Holloway to Estero, west side

38. 1250 Holloway Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara), Himalayas (tree is on Alviso)

39. 10 Alviso Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Norfolk Island, Australia (tree is towering above the rear of the house across the street)

40. 7 Alviso Hawthorn (Crataegus species), Northern Hemisphere (we’ll check back when the tree is in flower to determine which hawthorn it is)

41. 24 Alviso Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeastern Australia (across the street; this tree has been beautifully pruned and shaped)

42. 25 Alviso River birch (Betula nigra), eastern USA (row of 6 trees with peeling bark along the property line)

43. 35 Alviso Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), eastern Australia

** Cross Alviso carefully**

Alviso Street, Holloway to Urbano, east side

44. 44 Alviso Silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum), Cape Town, South Africa (2 small trees with distinctive silvery foliage near the house)

45. 44 Alviso Coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia), eastern Australia (an undeservedly rare tree on San Francisco streets)

46. 60 Alviso Red-leaf photinia (Photinia x fraseri), hybrid (more commonly seen as a dense shrub with red new foliage along our freeways)

47. 60 Alviso Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), eastern Australia (feel the spongy bark)

Urbano Drive, west of Alviso, south side

48. 426 Urbano London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica), hybrid of eastern USA species and European species (2 large trees that have been carefully pollarded for many years)

49. 420 Urbano Brush cherry (Syzygium australe, previously knows as S. paniculatum), eastern Australia (row of trees grown as a tall hedge on the property line)

**Cross Urbano carefully**

Urbano Drive, west of Alviso, north side

50. 415 Urbano Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), eastern Australia

51. 421 Urbano Magnolia (Magnolia species), East Asia (spectacular large blossoms on bare stems)

52. 445 Urbano Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (5 trees carefully shaped into a flat-topped form)

53. 445 Urbano Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile

**Continue east on Urbano Drive to Borica Street, then north on Borica to Entrada**

Entrada Court, west of Borica, south side

54. 96 Entrada Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana), southeastern Brazil (usually a shrub, sometimes becoming a tree; notable for its intense purple flowers; loves San Francisco’s climate)

55. Entrada Circle Hybrid pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa x kermadecensis), New Zealand (the rounded leaves, relatively few aerial roots, and winter flowers suggest that this tree may be a hybrid)

This walk ends at the Sundial Circle on Entrada Court.

Our regular commercial: This walking tour was organized by Mike Sullivan, author of The Trees of San Francisco and webmaster of www.sftrees.com; Jason Dewees, horticulturist at Flora Grubb Gardens and author of Designing with Palms; and Richard Turner, retired editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine . You can follow Mike and Jason on their tree-themed Instagram pages at @sftreeguy and @loulufan. Richard edited another great book on San Francisco trees: Elizabeth McClintock’s Trees of Golden Gate Park. If you’re a tree enthusiast, buy all three books!

Page Street (Haight Ashbury) Tree Tour (1-29-22)

January 30, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

We’ve noted before how much we enjoy interacting with folks who have caught us in the act of chalking one of our tree walks. This past Saturday was a record-setting day for such interactions. Strolling almost the full length of Page Street in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, we encountered enthusiastic locals out for a walk along the “slow street” section of Page. Many were imbibing coffee obtained from either Sight Glass or Flywheel coffee shops, which bookend our walk on Divisadero and Stanyan streets, but all were intrigued with our efforts to bring a little tree enlightenment to the ‘hood. Thank you all!

Today’s walk is simple. Begin at Sight Glass Coffee at Page and Divisadero streets and head west on Page to Stanyan Street. Jog south on Stanyan about 75’ to the courtyard of the brick apartment building on the southeast corner of Page and Stanyan (and perhaps hit up Flywheel Coffee for a refresher). Return to Page and head east, back to the beginning of the walk at Divisadero. This walk is a little over two miles in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 54. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

Page Street, Divisadero to Broderick, north side

1. 1010 Page Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile

2. 1012 Page Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (amazing flowers in July and often at other seasons)

3. 1062 Page New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (the rounded leaves, relatively few aerial roots, and winter flowers suggest that this tree may be a hybrid with Metrosideros kermadecensis)

4. 1076 Page Chinese hackberry (Celtis sinensis), China, Japan, and Taiwan

Page Street, Broderick to Baker, north side

5. 1124 Page Spiral aloe (Aloe polyphylla), mountains of Lesotho and east South Africa (definitely not a tree, but a magnificent specimen of this succulent; note the distinctive spiral arrangement of the leaves; this is one of the largest specimens in San Francisco)

6. 1130 Page Mulberry (Morus alba), China (the leaves are the only food of the silkworm, from whose cocoons we get silk thread)

7. 1154 Page Shamel ash (Fraxinus uhdei), Mexico

Page Street, Baker to Lyon, north side

8. 1234 Page Ghost cactus (Euphorbia ammak ‘Variegata’), Yemen (not a cactus, but definitely a succulent)

9. 1234 Page Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

10. 1240 Page Montezuma cypress or tule (Taxodium mucronatum), Mexico (this redwood relative is growing in a pot; in the ground it could grow to 50’ tall and wide)

11. 1250 Page Raywood ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa ‘Raywood’), C and S Europe, NW Africa, southwest Asia (a selected seedling found in a South Australia garden)

Page Street, Lyon to Central, north side

12. 1306 Page Australian willow or wilga (Geijera parviflora), east and southeast Australia (this tree generally prefers the warmth of the eastern parts of the city)

**Note the magnificent specimens of Corymbia ficifolia in this block**

13. 1316 Page Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), S China and Vietnam

Page Street, Central to Masonic, north side

14. 1456 Page Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium), New Zealand

15. 1476 Page Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum), eastern Australia (watch for the fragrant yellow flowers later in spring and through the summer)

Page Street, Masonic to Ashbury, north side

closeup of leaves of Santa Cruz Island ironwood (*Lyonothamnus floribundus* ssp. *asplenifolius*)

16. 1099 Masonic Santa Cruz Island ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), California’s Channel Islands, except Catalina Island (2 young trees are on Page Street; a third did not make it)

17. 1520 Page Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South Asia to Australia (commonly planted throughout the city)

18. 1546 Page Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China, Japan, Myanmar, and India

19. 1550 Page Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia species), Andes

Page Street, Ashbury to Clayton, north side

20. 1628 Page Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (two trees)

21. 1650 Page Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

22. 1652 Page Italian bay tree or Grecian laurel (Laurus nobilis), Mediterranean Basin (leaves of this tree are the bay leaves used in cooking)

23. 1660 Page River wattle (Acacia cognata), southeast Australia

24. 1666 Page Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), Japan (watch for the pink flowers in April)

25. 1686 Page Saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana), hybrid of east Asian species, developed in France

Page Street, Clayton to Cole, north side

26. 1752 Page Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’), eastern Australia (this is among the earliest flowering trees in SF, always beginning in January)

27. 1768 Page Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), San Francisco and California native; Baja to Mendocino, always within 30 miles of the coast

28. 1794 Page Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeastern USA

Page Street, Cole to Shrader, north side

29 1828 Page Japanese blueberry tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens), Vietnam, China, and Japan

30. 1832 Page Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand

31. 1860 Page Gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla), Brazil (there are still a few clusters of golden yellow flowers at the top of the tree)

32. 1890 Page Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), east and southeast Australia (red or pink flowers will appear later in the year)

**Detour north to 412 Shrader in spring to see the pendant yellow flowers on the only Laburnum we know of in the city**

Page Street, Shrader to Stanyan, north side

33. 1950 Page Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), east Asia (watch for the big pink flowers on this row of trees in April)

**Detour south to see a beautiful specimen of Chamaecyparis species in the courtyard of 650-652 Stanyan Street**

Page Street, Stanyan to Shrader, south side

34. 1953 Page Fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), east and S Africa

35. 1923 Page Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), eastern Australia (intensely fragrant white flowers cycle through the year)

36. 1901 Page Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (several trees about to flower are on Shrader; formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree; it is usually in flower by early February)

Page Street, Shrader to Cole, south side

37. 1849 Page Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), Southern China

38. 1833 Page Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin (this is a particularly fine specimen, in front of the library)

Page Street, Cole to Clayton, south side

39. 1767 Page Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to southwest Oregon; CA coastal native (this species is the tallest tree in the world)

40. 1727 Page Snow-in-summer tree or flax-leaf paperbark (Melaleuca linariifolia), eastern Australia (feel the spongy bark; white flowers will cover the tree in summer)

Page Street, Clayton to Ashbury, south side

41. 1601 Page Australian tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum), southeast Australia (note the wonderfully contorted trunk)

Page Street, Ashbury to Masonic, south side

42. 1563 Page Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (last of an ancient lineage of gymnosperms; this young specimen has an oddly curving main trunk)

Page Street, Masonic to Central, south side

43. 1100 Masonic Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (trees are on Page; also flowers in white, coral, and orange)

44. 1421 Page Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), eastern Australia

Page Street, Central to Lyon, south side

45. 1357 Page Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), eastern Australia (this tree grows in stream-side locations in the wild, hence the common name; SF’s most commonly planted street tree)

46. 1301 Page Baby queen palm (Chamaedorea plumosa), Chiapas, Mexico

Page Street, Lyon to Baker, south side

47. 1295 Page Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’), S China and Japan to southeast Asia (this specimen has had a rough life, yet continues to flower)

48. 1285 Page Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia ‘Charles Grimaldi’), hybrid of South American species (big yellow flowers are fragrant in the evening; developed locally and named for the late San Francisco garden designer)

49. 1283 Page Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi, syn Sphaeropteris cooperi), northeast Australia (2 trees to the left of the garage door mural, within the front garden)

50. 1227 Page Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolia), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay

a London plane leaf imprint in the Page Street sidewalk!

51. 1209 Page Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), southwest Oregon and northwest California

Page Street, Broderick to Divisadero, south side

52. 1071 Page Tasmanian tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica), southeast Australia

53. 1035 Page Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeast Australia

54. 299 Divisadero Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia and S Pacific Islands (tree is on Page)

This walk ends here, at Page and Divisadero streets, in front of the delightful Wholesome Bakery and across from the start of the walk.

Visitacion Valley Tree Tour (1-22-22)

January 26, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

We’ve noted before the inequity in street tree plantings within San Francisco. Today’s walk took us to Visitacion Valley near the city’s southern edge. Once known for its many greenhouses and family-run truck farming operations, this working class neighborhood of modest homes offers little in the way of amenities such as street trees. It does, however, offer the Visitacion Valley Greenway (VVG), which runs through several blocks and is filled with delightful green open spaces, colorful gardens, children’s play areas, and a surprising array of trees. The Greenway is a key part of the 17-Mile Crosstown Trail, which runs from the southeastern corner of the city to Lands End in the northwest corner of the city.

Today’s walk begins at the entrance to the Hans Schiller Plaza of the Visitacion Valley Greenway, just to the left (west) of 144 Leland Avenue, the site of Mission Blue Cafe—a coffee-lover’s highlight of “downtown” Visitacion Valley. The walk immediately crosses Leland to the south for a couple trees just west of Peabody Street, then loops back to Peabody for a few trees just south of Leland, including two in the parking lot behind 141 Leland. Returning to Leland, the walk heads west one block to Rutland Avenue and the beautiful Visitacion Valley Branch Library. Then, the walk returns on Leland to the entrance to the Greenway and continues uphill through four blocks of the Greenway, ending at Campbell Avenue. This walk is a little more than a mile in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 41. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

Leland Avenue, east of Peabody, south side

1. 141 Leland Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana), S Brazil (to the right of the main entrance to the complex)

2. 141 Leland Eastern dogwood (Cornus florida) E North America to E Mexico (watch for the large white flowers in spring)

3. 141 Leland Giant bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), S Africa (several planted between the sidewalk and the building)

Peabody Street, south of Leland, east side

4. 141 Leland Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), E Asia (tree is on Peabody)

5. 141 Leland Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), SE Australia (2 trees are on Peabody)

6. 141 Leland Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Ireland to Portugal and the Mediterranean (a multi-trunked tree extends above the fence, to the left of the pedestrian gate)

7. 141 Leland Willow-leaf peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii), SE Australia (a row of trees along the south side of the parking lot)

Leland Avenue, Peabody to Rutland, south side

8. 151 Leland Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), E Australia (this tree grows in stream-side locations in the wild, hence the common name; SF’s most commonly planted street tree)

9.185 Leland Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), Japan (watch for the pink flowers in April)

Leland Avenue and Rutland Street, SW corner

10. 201 Leland London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica), hybrid of E USA species and European species (several street trees on Rutland side of the library)

11. 201 Leland Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain (two

trees frame the front entrance to the library)

**Return to Visitacion Valley Greenway, Leland at Peabody**

Leland Avenue at Peabody Street, north side

12. 144 Leland Kōhūhū or black pittosporum (Pittosporum tenuifolium), New Zealand (numerous trees are located within the Greenway, along the right wall, some poking over the fence at Leland)

**Enter Visitacion Valley Greenway (VVG); numbers progress up (north) along the main pathway through the Greenway**

Visitacion Valley Greenway, first block

13. SW corner VVG Ruby Glow New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’), New Zealand (a small tree with tiny dark green leaves and small red flowers in winter)

14. West side of first pavement circle Yew (Taxus baccata), Europe to N Africa and SW Asia (two young short-needled trees at the west edge of the VVG)

15. East side, above the curved benches Pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana), S Brazil (several trees along the fence line; watch for the edible flowers followed in late summer by the edible greenish fruits)

16. NE corner VVG Ray Hartman ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’), hybrid of CA native species (clusters of soft blue flowers in winter)

17. West side, left of the notice board Hackberry (Celtis species), Asia (a handsome specimen of this deciduous tree)

18. Raymond, just east of VVG entry Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin (a “grove” of three trees in the sidewalk)

**Cross Raymond Avenue and enter 2nd section of the VVG**

Visitacion Valley Greenway, second block

19. East side, inside fence of community garden Grape Kool-aid bush (Psoralea pinnata), S Africa (needle-like leaves; intensely fragrant blue flowers in spring)

20. East side of path Red horse chestnut (Aesculus x carnea), hybrid of European and American species (deciduous now; watch for the showy red flowers in May)

21. West side of path Plum tree (Prunus species), Eurasia (leafless tree being invaded by a vine with bright orange flowers, Tecomaria capensis; other plums are nearby)

22. Along west fenceline Pacific wax myrtle (Morella californica), CA native: Vancouver Island to S California

23. East side, inside fence Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (long sword-like leaves clustered at the stem tips)

**Exit the Greenway, cross Arleta Avenue and head west**

Arleta Avenue, west of VVG, north side

24. 172 Arleta Round-leaf sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba’), eastern N America (a selection with rounded leaf lobes, quite distinct from other sweetgums)

25. 180 Arleta Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), SW Australia

**Return east and enter the 3rd section of the VVG**

Visitacion Valley Greenway, third block

26. West side of path Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus), E Australia (in a planting pocket in the plaza; a young tree with evergreen leaves and a slightly swollen trunk

27. West side of path Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (weeping habit with tiny leaves)

28. East side of path Tree tobacco (Nicotiana tomentosiformis), Andes of Peru (large fuzzy leaves; stems topped by clusters of pink and white flowers)

29. West side of path European weeping birch (Betula pendula), Eurasia & N Africa (a grove of deciduous trees with distinctive white bark; not usually well-adapted to SF)

30. West side, near top of VVG Loquat (Rhaphiolepis loquata, syn. Eriobotrya japonica), SE China, Vietnam, & Taiwan (tree with large fuzzy leaves; watch for edible fruits later in the year)

**Note the row of large Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’ on Teddy, inside the fence to the west of the VVG entry gate**

**Cross Teddy Avenue and enter the 4th section of the VVG, about 150’ to the west**

Visitacion Valley Greenway, fourth block

31. East side of path Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia (intensely fragrant flowers cycle through the year; other specimens nearby)

32. West side of path Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), SF and CA native; Baja to Mendocino (round headed tree with evergreen leaves with toothed margins; see if you can find the other other specimens nearby)

**Turn left before the steps onto the accessible pathway**

33. Left of bottom steps Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), circumpolar: native around the Northern Hemisphere (a grove of small deciduous trees with gray bark; generally prefers a colder northern or mountainous climate)

34. Right side of path Silky hakea (Hakea sericea), SE Australia (divided leaves with sharply pointed leaflets; oddly shaped woody fruits)

35. SW edge of pavement circle Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), Mediterranean (at the corner of the VVG; lots of woody cones)

36. N edge of circle California buckeye (Aesculus californica ), California; a San Francisco native tree! (a deciduous tree that should begin leafing out in February)

37. NE of circle Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), SF and CA native: S Oregon to Baja (watch the robins feeding on the bright red berries)

38. West of top of steps Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (one of the three most commonly planted trees in Golden Gate Park)

**Return to the main path and turn left at the top of the steps**

39. SW edge of pavement circle Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis), CA native, also Utah and Arizona (a multi-stemmed low deciduous tree; watch for the bright magenta flowers in late winter)

**Take the left path at the fork**

40. NW corner of VVG Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), CA native: Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, plus Cedros and Guadalupe islands, MX (most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber)

41. West edge of VVG Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California & Sonora, Mexico (a single tree is tucked within the other plants at the edge of the Greenway)

This tree walks ends here atop the fourth block of the Visitacion Valley Greenway, at Campbell Avenue; the Greenway continues further north along side the Community Garden at Campbell and Rutland Street. To return to the start of the walk, retrace your steps down through all four blocks of the Greenway.

Inner Richmond/USF Tree Tour (12-19-21)

December 20, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

’Twas the week before Christmas… The tree geeks disregarded the bitter (for San Francisco) temperatures and met at one of the city’s most distinctive landmark trees: the large California buckeye at the corner of McAllister Street and Willard Street North. This tree could well predate the late 1800s house behind it.

Today’s walk begins at the buckeye and heads east to Parsons Street, then south on Parsons to Fulton Street, where it turns west back to Willard North. At Willard, it heads north to McAllister, west on McAllister, north on Arguello Blvd, west on Cabrillo Street, north on 2nd Avenue, east on Balboa Street, which becomes Turk Blvd when it crosses Arguello. It continues east on Turk to Willard North and then south on Willard to its beginning at McAllister. This walk is barely a mile and a half in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 29. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

McAllister Street, Willard to Parsons, north side

1. 2694 McAllister California buckeye (Aesculus californica ), California; a spectacular San Francisco native tree! This is one of the best-known individual trees in San Francisco. It is San Francisco’s largest specimen of California buckeye, and as of this writing is on its way to becoming an official landmark tree. It is one of only two trees in the City that are protected by a tree easement, in favor of Friends of the Urban Forest - the owner of the property may not cut down or harm the tree without the permission of FUF.

2. 2694 McAllister California bay (Umbellularia californica), Oregon and California (with outliers in WA and BC)

3. 2678 McAllister London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica), hybrid of eastern American and European species

*Note the boughs of western red cedar (Thuja occidentalis) in the garland around the door to this residence*

4. 2658 McAllister Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

5. 2644 McAllister Forest Pansy eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’), Eastern USA and northeast Mexico (come back in spring for its bright magenta flowers)

6. 2644 McAllister Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana), SE Brazil (usually a shrub, sometimes becoming a tree; notable for its intense purple flowers; loves San Francisco; note the diverse plantings in this organic garden)

Parsons Street, McAllister to Fulton, east side

7. 14 Parsons Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), E Asia (across the street; watch for the big pink flowers in April)

8. 2344 Fulton Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (tree is on Parsons; note the large and intensely fragrant white flowers)

Fulton Avenue at Willard North, north side

9. 2400 Fulton Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California & Sonora, Mexico (this row of palms is in front of the former home of the rock group, the Jefferson Airplane)

Willard North, Fulton to McAllister, west side

10. 2400 Fulton Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata), China, Korea, and Japan (2 trees on N. Willard; among the largest specimens in SF)

11. 335 N. Willard Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), E Australia

McAllister Street, Willard North to Arguello, south side

12. 2719 McAllister Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), S Asia (commonly planted throughout the city)

13. 2733 McAllister Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

Arguello Blvd, McAllister to Cabrillo, west side

14. 829 Arguello Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia (intensely fragrant flowers)

Cabrillo Street, Arguello to 2nd, north side

15. 795 Arguello Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), China, Taiwan, and Vietnam (3 trees on Cabrillo, recently planted by Friends of the Urban Forest)

16. 696 - 2nd Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolia), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay (tree is planted on Cabrillo, along with many others in this block of 2nd)

2nd Avenue, Cabrillo to Turk, east side

17. 696 - 2nd Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), E Australia (one of SF’s largest specimens)

18. 686 - 2nd Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), E Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild, hence the common name; SF’s most commonly planted street tree)

19. 660 - 2nd Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia (intensely fragrant flowers)

20. 644 - 2nd Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand

21. 620 - 2nd Santa Cruz Island ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), CA’s Channel Islands, except Catalina Island

22. 620 - 2nd Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia & S Pacific Islands

23. 612 - 2nd Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), SW Australia (also flowers in white, coral, and orange, like this one)

**Head east (right) on a mostly treeless block of Balboa Street; cross Arguello and continue on Turk Blvd**

Turk Blvd, Arguello to Willard North, south side

24. 3175 Turk Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris), New Caledonia (a twin-trunked specimen is just inside the wooden fence, to the right of this address; similar to Norfolk Island pine, but this narrower, denser species will have a pronounced lean or curve at its base)

25. 3175 Turk Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), E Australia (note the somewhat larger leaves on this cultivar, compared to the species at #18)

26. 3175 Turk Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), China, Korea, Japan, andVietnam

Willard North, Turk to Golden Gate, west side

27. 143 Willard Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’), Eurasia (a selection of purple-leaf plum from a Bakersfield nursery)

Willard North, Golden Gate to McAllister, east side

28. 232 Willard Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile

29. 256 Willard Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp.), Asia (we’re unsure of the species, but the leaves are larger than the typical hybrids found in SF gardens, and they are somewhat more leathery; most others in town have already dropped their leaves for the winter)

This tree walk ends at McAllister and Willard North, where it began.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Just released podcast: the three tree geeks and their #covidtreetours

December 05, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

Jennifer Jewell of Cultivating Place did a wonderful interview of Richard Turner, Jason Dewees and me, covering the #covidtreetours that the three of us have been doing in San Francisco neighborhoods since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Listening to the podcast reminds me of how much fun the three of us have had over the past 18 months, and why it’s been so rewarding to share in this unique way with so many San Franciscans. Click here to listen to the podcast!

Inner Sunset/Forest Hill Tree Tour 11-20-21

November 21, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

On a spectacular November day, the tree geeks met at JP Murphy Playground for a short walk around this meeting of the Inner Sunset and Forest Hill neighborhoods. With the rains of the past month, the trees, lawns, gardens, and, above all, lichens on the tree trunks are showing signs of recovery from the drought of the last couple of years. There’s no guarantee, of course, that rains will continue this winter, but, for the moment, we can rejoice in those early and heavy rains of October.

At the entrance to the Playground, the staff of San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department have posted some informational signs about the trees in the Playground. Our walk covers only a few of the trees along the street in front of the clubhouse, but we hope you’ll take a moment to read the postings about the park’s trees.

Today’s walk begins at the Playground on 9th Avenue, just north of Pacheco. It heads south on 9th to Pacheco, then east and south on Pacheco to Alton Avenue, west on Alton to 9th, and finally north on 9th to a fine tree opposite the Playground. This short walk is barely a mile in length with some gentle hills.

Our trio of tree geeks responsible for this tour is the same: Mike Sullivan, author of Trees of San Francisco, Jason Dewees (author of Designing with Palms) and Richard Turner (retired editor of Pacific Horticulture).

9th Avenue, north of Pacheco, east side

1. 1960 - 9th Cabbage tree or tī koūka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (the tree is not as vigorous as we often see for this species in San Francisco, but the lichens covering the upper trunks are outstanding)

Hopseed tree (Dodonaea viscosa), native throughout tropical and subtropical parts of the world (most commonly seen in its purple-leafed form; this tree was a spontaneous seedling that has grown beautifully in this location)

2. 1960 - 9th European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Portugal, UK, Sweden to Greece and Bulgaria (watch in spring as the buds enlarge and the beautiful foliage develops on this deciduous tree)

3. 1960 - 9th Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), CA native: Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, plus Cedros and Guadalupe islands, Mexico (most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber)

Pacheco Street, 9th to 8th, north/northeast side

4. 494 Pacheco English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia and north Africa

5. 494 Pacheco Brush cherry (Syzygium australe, previously knows as S. paniculatum), east Australia

6. 460 Pacheco Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of 2 Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

7. 460 Pacheco Santa Cruz Island Ironwood (also known as fern-leaf Catalina ironwood) (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. aspleniifolius), California’s Channel Islands, except Catalina Island

*Note the well maintained garden at 460 Pacheco; thank you to the owners*

***Cross 8th Avenue carefully; cars from the right do not have to stop***

Pacheco Avenue, 8th to Alton, east side

8. 444 Pacheco Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), east Asia (note the slightly different branching habits and leaf characters of this cherry and the next one)

9. 444 Pacheco Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), east Asia (watch for the big pink flowers in April; note the graft union at about 5’ height; it was most likely grafted onto the root stock of a Prunus serrulata seedling)

10. 444 Pacheco Silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum), Cape Town, south Africa (2 trees against the house)

***Cross Pacheco carefully; cars from the left do not have to stop***

Alton Street, Pacheco to 9th, north side

11. 100 Alton Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), easterm USA to Mexico and Central America

12. 100 Alton Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Norfolk Island, Australia (other Norfolk Island pines may be seen on the horizon from this elevated vantage point)

13. 100 Alton Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (3 trees in the lawn, more along Alton)

14. 150 Alton Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) Mediterranean basin, Atlantic coast of France and Ireland (several trees in the front garden)

15. 150 Alton Raywood ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa ‘Raywood’), central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, southwest Asia (2 trees; a selected seedling found in a south Australia garden; note the rich array of lichens growing on the bark)

16. 150 Alton Golden Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Aurea’), Japan

9th Avenue at Alton, NE corner

17. 2020 - 9th Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), California native; Oregon to southern California to Baja (the wood was used in construction and for making pencils)

9th Avenue, Alton to Sotelo, east side

18. 2050 - 9th Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), east Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild, hence the common name; San Francisco’s most commonly planted street tree; these young trees are flowering heavily)

19. 2050 - 9th Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

***Cross 9th Avenue carefully***
9th Avenue, to Pacheco, west side

20. 2101 - 9th Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), east Australia (intensely fragrant flowers in winter and spring)

21. 2085 - 9th Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China (2 trees)

22. 2085 - 9th Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’), a cultivar of species native from Ireland and the Baltics to Morocco and Iran

23. 2031 - 9th Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum), east Australia (smell the flowers)

[#24 not used]

25. 2015 - 9th Silver-leafed princess flower (Tibouchina heteromalla), Brazil

26. 495 Pacheco Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeast Australia (a row of trees across the street)

27. 2001 - 9th Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California and Sonora, Mexico (4 trees)

28. 2001 - 9th Pindo palm (Butia odorata), southeast Brazil and Uruguay

9th Avenue, north of Pacheco, west side

29. 1955 - 9th Little-leaf linden (Tilia cordata), Eurasia (city champion; San Francisco’s biggest specimen of this tree)

This tree walks ends here, across the street from its beginning at the JP Murphy Playground.

Lower Pacific Heights (plus) Tree Tour (11-6-21)

November 07, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

Today’s tour is of Lower Pacific Heights, just south of our Pacific Heights tour of roughly a year ago. Our walk included the brutalist architecture of the old California Pacific Medical Center, but we also ventured into Pacific Heights proper, to the border of Lafayette Park, one of the city’s loveliest. Along the way, we discovered some exceptional specimens of trees that are particularly happy in San Francisco.

Today’s walk begins at the northwest corner of Bush and Buchanan streets and heads uphill (north) on Buchanan. At Pine Street, it leads west to Webster Street, north on Webster to Washington Street, east on Washington to Buchanan, south on Buchanan to Clay Street, east on Clay to Laguna, south on Laguna to Sacramento Street, west on Sacramento to Buchanan and finally south on Buchanan to its end at Buchanan and Pine, which is one block north of its beginning at Buchanan and Bush. This walk is almost one and a half miles in length and does include some modest hills.

Buchanan Street, Bush to Pine, east side

San Francisco’s largest Japanese zelkova (*Zelkova* *serrata*)

1. 1908 Buchanan Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata), China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan (city champion; biggest in San Francisco!)

2. 1936 Buchanan Kōhūhū or black pittosporum (Pittosporum tenuifolium), New Zealand

3. 1954 Buchanan Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), East Asia

Pine Street, Buchanan to Webster, north side

4. 2128 Pine Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea), Central America (one of San Francisco’s largest; maybe a city champion)

5. 2152 Pine Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeast Australia (several others can be seen across the street at 2140 Pine)

Webster Street, Pine to California, east side

6. 1940 Webster Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (this is a great tree for San Francisco; we need more of them!)

7. 1940 Webster Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), native to Año Nuevo, Monterey and Cambria, CA; also Mexico’s Cedros and Guadalupe Islands (most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber; this specimen has been beautifully pruned over the years)

Webster Street, California to Sacramento, east side

8. 2040 Webster Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of 2 Mediterranean species (but first introduced in San Francisco)

Webster Street, Sacramento to Clay, west side

9. entire 2100 block Italian bay tree or Grecian laurel (Laurus nobilis), Mediterranean Basin

Webster Street, Clay to Washington, west side

10. 2217 Webster Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile

**Note the well-tended vertical garden across the street at 2230 Webster

11. 2235 Webster Rusty-leafed fig (Ficus rubiginosa), Eastern Australia (uncommon in San Francisco)

12. 2249 Webster Tree aloe (Aloidendron barberae, formerly Aloe bainesii), S & East Africa

***Cross Webster to the east side***

13. 2389 Washington Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia (tree is on Webster)

Washington Street, Webster to Buchanan, south side

14. 2389 Washington English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia & North Africa

15. 2355 Washington Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japan (a particularly nice trio)

**Note that this particularly fine Victorian home, the Dallam Merritt House, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

16. 2325 Washington Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), East Asia (watch for the big pink flowers in April on these 6 trees)

Buchanan Street, Washington to Clay, east side

New Zealand Christmas tree (*Metrosideros excelsa*)

17. 2295 Washington New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (tree is on Buchanan; others are down the street)

18. 2308 Buchanan Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi), NE Australia

19. 2310 Buchanan Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Eastern North America (across the street, along the parking lot; this species is the tallest deciduous tree in North America)

Clay Street, Buchanan to Laguna, north side

20. 2226 Clay Fern-leaf Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), California’s Channel Islands except Santa Catalina Island

21. 2220 Clay Hachiya persimmon (Diospyros kaki ‘Hachiya’), East Asia (persimmons are very rare in San Francisco – this one may be a city champion on our streets: largest in San Francisco)

22. 2220 Clay Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (leaves are just beginning to turn color; these deciduous trees tend to drop their golden leaves all at one time, making cleanup easier)

23. 2218 Clay Ruby Glow New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’), New Zealand (tree is above the wall, with a few tiny red flowers; well adapted to San Francisco’s climate and soils)

24. 2214 Clay Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), S Asia (commonly planted throughout the neighborhood and the city)

Note the climbing fig (Ficus pumila) on wall along sidewalk; from East Asia.

25. 2210 Clay Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia

Laguna Street, Clay to Sacramento, west side

26. 2151 Laguna Little Gem magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’), southeast USA

Sacramento Street, Laguna to Buchanan

27. 2205 Sacramento Fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), East & South Africa (2 trees next to the building have been pruned extensively to allow more light into the rooms)

28. 2241 Sacramento Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Eastern Mediterranean Basin (several trees on both sides of the street; seed pods can be used to make a chocolate substitute—though not recommended for true chocolate lovers)

Buchanan Street, Sacramento to California, east side

29. 2189 California Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (several beautiful specimens on this block; usually flowers in summer, but many in the city are flowering now)

California Street, just east of Buchanan, north side

30. 2186 California Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), East Asia

**Return to Buchanan Street

Buchanan Street, California to Pine, east side

31. 2050 Buchanan White alder (Alnus rhombifolia), California native: Southern California to Pacific northwest (2 trees; generally found further from the coast; hence, not particularly happy in cool San Francisco)

32. 2018 Buchanan London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (2 large and handsome trees)

This walk ends at Buchanan and Pine streets, one block north of its beginning at Buchanan and Bush streets.

NOPA West Tree Tour (10-31-21)

November 01, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

We return to the neighborhood north of the Panhandle (NOPA) for our first walk in several months. With Covid declining, the three tree geeks have been traveling to various parts of the country and the world—always studying the trees we come across. Our previous NOPA tour covered blocks east of Masonic Avenue, this tour covers “NOPA West”.

As we have often commented, the enthusiasm with which we are greeted by neighbors as we chalk out the tour is incredibly gratifying. On this particular Halloween Sunday, we were joined by NOPA residents Alex and Leah and their infant son Corwin for almost the full tour; all but Corwyn had lots of questions for us about San Francisco’s trees, and we were happy to answer them.

This decidedly flat neighborhood is filled with some of the city’s most frequently planted trees. We found a number of trees that were the biggest or best specimens in the city, and a few that are the only specimens of their kind in town.

An important part of the walk was along Fell Street, as it borders the northern edge of the Panhandle, where we pointed out a number of exceptional trees. The Panhandle was the first portion of Golden Gate Park to be planted with trees in the 1870s. While the western end of the Park was planted with dune grasses, wind-tolerant shrubs, and eventually trees that were intended to hold the sand and slow the winds, this eastern extension of the Park was more protected from the winds and could be planted with an array of trees that were then considered experimental. Among the trees that thrived are the giant blue gums (Eucalyptus globulus), from southeast Australia, and two native California conifers from the Carmel area: Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) and Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). Some of those oldest trees can still be seen in the Panhandle.

Alex, Leah and Corwin - our tree-curious NOPA guests for the tour!

We begin the walk at the southwest corner of Cole and Hayes streets, move down Cole to Fell Street, head west on Fell for one block to Shrader Street, and then turn north to Hayes. At Hayes, the walk heads east to Cole, then north on Cole to Grove Street, east on Grove to Clayton Street, south on Clayton to Hayes, east on Hayes to Ashbury Street, south on Ashbury to Fell, and back west on Fell to Cole. The tour ends at Cole and Fell, one block south of its beginning. This walk is about one and a half miles in length.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 28. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

Cole Street, Hayes to Fell, west side

1. 207 Cole Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

Gold medallion tree (*Cassia leptophylla*) - San Francisco’s biggest and best!

2. 227 Cole Gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla), Brazil (city champion: biggest and best specimen in San Francisco)

Fell Street, Cole to Shrader, north side and in the Panhandle

3. 2010 Fell California bay (Umbellularia californica), Oregon and CA (large tree across the street in the Panhandle; one of the largest in the city; long draping branches; crush a leaf to release the powerful odor)

4. 2030 Fell Queensland kauri (Agathis robusta), northeast Australia (this is the tall narrow tree in the lawn across the street in the Panhandle; uncommonly planted except in botanical collections; tallest specimen in the city outside of the SF Botanical Garden; three young ones have been added nearby in recent years)

5. 2040 Fell Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (one of the three most commonly planted trees in Golden Gate Park and the Panhandle)

6. 2058 Fell Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeastern Australia (one of the largest specimens in the city, possibly a City champion)

7. Fell at Shrader Italian alder (Alnus cordata), Italy and Corsica (several evergreen trees opposite the end of Shrader within the Panhandle; we think one is the largest in the city)

Shrader Street, Fell to Hayes, east side

Freeman maple (*Acer* x *freemanii*) (photo credit Leah Drake)

8. 2098 Fell Freeman maple (Acer x freemanii), hybrid of Acer rubrum and Acer saccharinum, both from eastern North America (tree is on Shrader)

9. 2098 Fell Asian dogwood (Cornus species), Asia (this may be one of the rarest trees in the city; it is similar to Cornus capitata, but has larger, more leathery leaves, and possibly the largest fruits of any dogwood). We were excited to find this one - see a website about this tree here.

10. Shrader, Fell to Hayes Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (a row of trees almost the full length of the block)

Hayes Street, Shrader to Cole, south side

11. 2185 Hayes New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (2 large trees and 1 smaller tree)

12. 2151 Hayes Australian willow or wilga (Geijera parviflora), east and southeast Australia (this tree prefers the warmth of the eastern parts of the city)

13. 2145 Hayes Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), east Asia (tree was grafted at shoulder height, hence the change in trunk diameter; watch for the big pink flowers in April)

Ginkgo (*Ginkgo biloba*) (photo credit Leah Drake)

14. 2125 Hayes Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (leaves are just beginning to turn gold; these deciduous trees tend to drop their golden leaves all at one time, making cleanup easier)

15. 2115 Hayes Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus X ‘Marina’), hybrid of 2 Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

Cole Street, Hayes to Grove, west side

16. 151 Cole Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), eastern Australia (intensely fragrant flowers in cyles throughout the year, peaking February-April)

Primrose tree (*Lagunaria patersonii*) (photo credit Leah Drake)

17. 143 Cole Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia and south Pacific Islands

18. 2111 Grove Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), eastern Australia (row of 3 trees, thoughtfully pruned to maintain a manageable size)

Grove Street, Cole to Clayton, south side

19. 2049 Grove Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (3 beautiful trees; usually flowers in summer, but many in the city are flowering now)

Silver dollar gum (*Eucalyptus polyanthemos*) (photo credit Leah Drake)

20. 2058 Grove Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), eastern Australia (this specimen has been carefully and effectively pruned to remain below the overhead utility cables, resulting in an unusual habit for this typically upright tree)

Clayton Street, Grove to Hayes, west side

21. 137 Clayton Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), south Asia (commonly planted throughout the neighborhood and the city)

Grove Street, Clayton to Ashbury, north side

22. 1980 Grove Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree; it often loses its leaves before summer’s end)

23. 1960 Grove Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), eastern North America (tallest deciduous tree in North America)

Ashbury Street, Grove to Hayes, east side

24. 230 Ashbury Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’), eastern Australia (one of the finest specimens in town of this purple-leafed form; yellow flowers early in the year)

25. 1790 Fell Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), east and southeast Australia (2 trees at the south end of Ashbury; sadly, the tree at the north end of the block was badly damaged in the recent powerful storm)

Fell Street, Ashbury to Clayton, north side

26. 1846 Fell Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), eastern Australia (the most common tree along the north side of Fell, alongside the Panhandle)

Fell Street, Clayton to Cole, north side

27. 1900 Fell Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to southwest Oregon; CA coastal native (2 trees across the street within the Panhandle; tallest tree species in the world)

Cole Street, just north of Fell, east side

28. 1994 Fell Allspice magnolia (Magnolia x ‘Allspice’), a hybrid of two Asian species; on warm days, the flowers release a delightful fragrance)

This walk ends at the corner of Fell and Cole, one block south of its beginning at Hayes and Cole.

This walking tour was organized by Mike Sullivan, author of The Trees of San Francisco (if you like this tour, there are 12 more neighborhood tree tours in Mike’s book), Jason Dewees, horticulturist at Flora Grubb Gardens and author of Designing with Palms; and Richard Turner, retired editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine and editor of Trees of Golden Gate Park. If you’re a tree enthusiast, buy all three books! You can follow Mike (@sftreeguy) and Jason (@loulufan) on Instagram.