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Cook pines in Salesforce Park!

March 24, 2026 by Michael Sullivan

I noticed these two trees in San Francisco’s Salesforce Park recently. The park’s records say that they’re Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla), but look at the southward lean of these trees - I don’t think so! I think that they’re likely cook pines (Araucaria columnaris). Cal Poly botany professor Matt Ritter discovered in 2017 that cook pines always lean towards the equator, no matter where they are on earth (and the further from the equator, the greater the lean). And these two are definitely leaning towards Howard and 2nd Streets (towards the south)!

March 24, 2026 /Michael Sullivan
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