[NOTE: our newest tour of the NOPA neighborhood is below. Click here for our Westwood Park tour. For earlier tours, click here for the Bayview, Bernal Heights, Castro, Cow Hollow, Dogpatch, Glen Park, Inner Sunset, Lower Haight, Mission (central Mission), Mission (Inner Mission), Mission Bay, Noe Valley, Potrero Hill, Richmond, Russian Hill, Transmission, Westwood Park and West Portal tours.]

As long as we have good weather, like this past Sunday in NOPA, we’ll continue chalking out these tours. Thanks to all who greet us so warmly on these tours and share with us their enthusiasm for our modest attempts to spread the good word about San Francisco’s incredible urban forest.

Soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria) at 736 Masonic - largest soapbark in San Francisco — Soapbark tree (*Quillaja saponaria*) at 736 Masonic - largest soapbark in San Francisco

Today’s walk in the neighborhood known as NOPA, on the north side of the Panhandle, begins with an outstanding tree on Masonic Avenue, just north of Hayes Street. From there, it heads north to Grove Street, east on Grove to Lyon Street, north on Lyon to McAllister Street, east on McAllister to Baker Street, and north on Baker to Turk. On Turk, it heads west for about a third of a block, before returning to Baker and turning south to Golden Gate Avenue, then east on Golden Gate to Broderick Street, north on Broderick to Turk, then back south on Broderick to Grove, west on Grove to Baker, south on Baker to Hayes, and finally west on Hayes back to the start of the walk at Masonic. This walk is just under two miles long.

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.

Masonic Avenue, Hayes to Grove, east side

1. 736 Masonic Soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria), Chile (city champion; biggest of this species in San Francisco!)

2. 700 block of Masonic Shamel ash (Fraxinus uhdei), Mexico (a row of tall trees across the street on the west side of Masonic, along side City College’s John Adams Center)

Turn right (east) on Grove Street.

Grove Street, Masonic to Central, north side

3. 1798 Grove Snow-in-summer tree or flax-leaf paperbark (Melaleuca linariifolia), East Australia (feel the spongy bark)

4. 1772 Grove Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Eastern Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild; hence, the common name; the tree is also known as a “small leaf tristania”). This is San Francisco’s most commonly planted street tree

Grove Street, Central to Lyon, north side

5. 1690 Grove Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (3 trees)

6. 1660 Grove Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), China & Vietnam (this species seldom does well in San Francisco, but these seem to be thriving, at least in this season)

7. 1656 Grove Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’), Southern China & Japan to Southeast Asia

8. 1646 Grove Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), Mediterranean Basin (usually a large shrub)

Turn left (north) on Lyon Street.

Lyon Street, Grove to Fulton, east side

9. 542 Lyon Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis), Guadalupe Island, Mexico (perfectly adapted to San Francisco)

Lyon Street, Fulton to McAllister, west side

Dwarf southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’) — Dwarf southern magnolia (*Magnolia grandiflora* ‘Little Gem’)

10. 605 Lyon Japanese blueberry tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens), East Asia

Turn right (east) on McAllister Street.

McAllister Street, Lyon to Baker, north side

11. 1872 McAllister Dwarf southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’), Southeast USA

12. 1856 McAllister Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’), a variety of a Eurasian species

13. 1836 McAllister Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South & Southeast Asia to Northern Australia (4 trees; a common, albeit problematic, street tree throughout San Francisco)

14. 1806 McAllister Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree)

We loved this garage door on Grove Street!

15. 1801 McAllister Firethorn (Pyracantha hybrid), Eurasia (across the street; the crooked tree with bright red fruits)

Turn left (north) on Baker Street.

Baker Street, McAllister to Golden Gate, west side

16. 711 Baker Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), a California native confined to two small populations near Carmel, California, at Cypress Point in Pebble Beach and at Point Lobos.

17. 715 Baker Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (this vigorous tree is sending up shoots in nearby tree boxes and in cracks in the sidewalk)

Baker Street, Golden Gate to Turk, west side

Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) A giant tree - biggest peppermint willow in San Francisco! — Peppermint willow (*Agonis flexuosa) A giant tree - biggest peppermint willow in San Francisco!*

18. 841 Baker Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia (this giant is a city champion – the biggest of its species in San Francisco!)

Turn left on Turk Street.

Turk Street, west of Baker, south side

19. 861 Baker Tītoki tree (Alectryon excelsus), New Zealand (a very rare tree in San Francisco, but we think undeservedly rare!)

20. 861 Baker Avocado tree (Persea americana), Mexico & Central America

22. 2037 Turk Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla), Eastern Australia (2 trees well inside the fenced yard)

23. 2047 Turk Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), Southern China and Vietnam

**Turn around and return to Baker, cross street and head right (downhill) on Baker**

Baker Street, Turk to Golden Gate, east side

23. 830 Baker Trident maple (Acer buergerianum), East Asia

Turn left on Golden Gate Avenue.

Golden Gate Avenue, Baker to Broderick, north side

24. 1888 Golden Gate Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia & South Pacific Islands

Turn left (north) on Broderick Street.

tree of heaven, AKA “the tree that grows in Brooklyn” (Ailanthus altissima) — tree of heaven, AKA “the tree that grows in Brooklyn” (*Ailanthus altissima*)

Broderick Street, Golden Gate to Turk, west side

25. 929 Broderick Tree of heaven, also known as “the tree that grows in Brooklyn” (Ailanthus altissima), China & Taiwan. It’s considered a weed tree in many places around the world, but it’s uncommon in San Francisco. This one is a city champion: the biggest of its kind in San Francisco!

**Head north to the traffic signal at Turk and cross to the east side of Broderick, then turn right (south) on Broderick**

Broderick Street, Turk to Golden Gate, east side

26. 914 Broderick Cherry laurel, English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), Black Sea

Broderick Street, Golden Gate to McAllister, east side

27. 850 Broderick Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (4 trees)

28. 1698 McAllister Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (row of 5 trees)

closeup - leaves and (very fragrant!) flowers of Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum) — closeup - leaves and (very fragrant!) flowers of Victorian box (*Pittosporum undulatum*)

29. 1700 McAllister Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil (2 young trees on McAllister, at corner of Broderick, across the street)

Broderick Street, McAllister to Fulton, east side

30. 730 Broderick Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia

31. 1384 Fulton London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species

At Fulton Street, cross Fulton and continue south on Broderick Street.

Broderick Street, Fulton to Grove, west side

32. 641 Broderick Fern-leaf Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius); this subspecies is found in California’s Channel Islands, except Catalina Island.

33. 639 Broderick Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), a hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco – click here for the interesting story of this tree)

34. 601 Broderick European weeping birch (Betula pendula), Eurasia (not usually well-adapted to San Francisco)

Turn right on Grover Street.

Grove Street, Broderick to Baker, north side

35. 601 Broderick Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (row of young trees are on Grove)

[36 not used]

37. 1432 Grove Beaked yucca (Yucca rostrata), Texas & N Mexico (4 young trees with stiff, sharply pointed leaves)

38. 1432 Grove Dragon tree (Dracaena draco), Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and W Morocco (a very cool tree - far too rare in San Francisco!)

39. 1477 Grove Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), Southeastern Australia (3 trees across the street, alongside the San Francisco Health Care & Rehab Center)

40. 1480 Grove Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), Southern China

41. 1477 Grove Sydney golden wattle (Acacia longifolia), Southeastern Australia (across the street at the corner of the San Francisco Health Care & Rehab Center)

Grove Street, Baker to Lyon, north side

42. 1500 Grove Myoporum or ngaio in Māori (Myoporum laetum), New Zealand (this species is dying all over San Francisco, due to an insect pest called thrips; these trees, on both Grove and Baker, are doing uncommonly well)

**Turn left and head south on Baker toward Hayes**

Baker Street, Grove to Hayes, west side

43. 1501 Grove Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) (two trees are on Baker side of the building). This is one of the few trees native to San Francisco

44. 1477 Grove Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), Eastern & Southeastern Australia (tree is across the street at San Francisco Health Care & Rehab Center)

45. 405 Baker Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia

Cross Hayes Street, and turn right on Hayes.

Hayes Street, Baker to Lyon, south side

46. 1500 Hayes Round-leaf sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba’), Eastern USA to Mexico & C America (a selection with rounded leaf lobes, quite distinct from the other sweetgums; most of the young trees in this block are this selection)

47. 1500 Hayes Yarwood plane tree (Platanus occidentalis ‘Yarwood’), Eastern North America (the row of trees on the south side of Gene Friend Way; this selection originated at Sather Tower, UC Berkeley)

48. 370 Lyon Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands (2 trees within the fenced yard on Lyon, just south of Hayes)

Hayes Street, Lyon to Central, south side

49. 1673 Hayes Red-leaf photinia (Photinia x fraseri), China (more commonly seen as a dense shrub with red new foliage along our freeways)

50. 464 Central Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia (3 trees, just south of Hayes; this tree loves San Francisco’s climate)

Hayes Street, Central to Masonic, south side

51. 1731 Hayes Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), East Asia

52. 1757 Hayes Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), Eastern & Southeastern Australia

Turn right on Masonic.

This tree walk ends at Masonic Avenue, near its beginning at 736 Masonic, just north of Hayes.

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!