"Ask Mike Anything"
Here’s a Youtube link to the “Ask Mike Anything” event that I did with Friends of the Urban Forest in April. It was a great group, and a lot of fun! Clink on the image above or the link below.
Excelsior “Social-Distancing” Tree Tour 4-9-21
In our year of chalking these tree walks, we have realized that certain neighborhoods excel in trees while others offer fewer, either for socio-economic reasons or because the conditions are challenging. The windswept Excelsior District, on the south side of the Alemany Gap, is one of those neighborhoods that has lacks significant tree density, but we were excited to discover tree-rich Athens and Vienna streets, which provide the basis for this week’s tree tour.
Athens-Avalon Greenspace
This walk begins at the base of the neighborhood-maintained Athens-Avalon Greenspace, on Avalon Avenue at Athens Street. It then leads southwest on Athens Street to Brazil Street, crosses the street and heads back northeast to Excelsior Avenue. Turning northwest on Excelsior, the walk continues to Vienna Street, where it heads southwest almost to Brazil again, before crossing the street and heading northeast all the way to Avalon. At Avalon, the walk heads southeast back to its start at the Greenspace. This walk is under 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 38. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
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).
Avalon Avenue at Athens Street, northeast side
1. Sidewalk at the base of Greenspace - Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)
2. 743 Avalon Avocado tree (Persea americana), Mexico and Central America (within the Greenspace)
Athens Street, Avalon to Excelsior, northwest side
3. 742 Avalon Fern-leaf Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus subsp. asplenifolius), California’s Channel Islands, except Catalina; California native (5 trees are on Athens)
4. 742 Avalon Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris), New Caledonia (a young tree is along the fence on Athens; similar to Norfolk Island pine, but this species will have a pronounced lean or curve at its base)
Closeup of flowers - White champaca (Magnolia x alba)
5. 804 Avalon Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Norfolk Island, South Pacific (this is the tall, distinctive “Christmas tree” in the rear yard across the street)
6. 218 Athens White champaca (Magnolia x alba), hybrid of SE Asian species (watch for the fragrant flowers tucked within the foliage)
7. 228 Athens Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea), Mexico and Central America
8. 242 Athens Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), East Asia
9. 250 Athens Akebono flowering cherry (Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’), Japan
**Cross Athens carefully**
Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea)
Athens Street, Avalon to Excelsior, southeast side
10. 259 Athens New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’), New Zealand
Leaves and flowers: New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’)
11. 263 Athens Yew-plum pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus), Japan and China (against the house)
12. 267 Athens Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), E Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild, hence the common name; San Francisco’s most commonly planted street tree)
13. 267 Athens Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin
River birch (Betula nigra), leaves just budding out
14. 283 Athens Plume albizia (Paraserianthus lophantha), southwest Australia (easily seeds around and considered a weed in the western reaches of Golden Gate Park
Athens Street, Excelsior to Brazil, southeast side
15. 307 Athens Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia
16. 311 Athens River birch (Betula nigra), eastern USA (2 trees with peeling bark; only street trees of this species we know in San Francisco)
17. 315 Athens Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia subsp. lyonii), Channel Islands of California
18. 351 Athens Bearss lime (Citrus x latifolia), hybrid of key lime and lemon
Bearss lime (Citrus x latifolia)
19. 395 Athens Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia and South Pacific Islands
Athens Street, Brazil to Excelsior, northwest side
Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’)
20. 378 Athens Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’), Southern China and Japan to southeast Asia
21. 374 Athens Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia
22. 366 Athens Grecian bay tree (Laurus nobilis), Mediterranean Basin (this is the bay leaf of culinary value; crush a leaf to smell it)
23. 346 Athens Bloodgood Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’), Korea and Japan
24. 342 Athens Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru to Chile
25. 314 Athens Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan
Excelsior Avenue, Athens to Vienna, southwest side
26. 727 Excelsior Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain(2 trees across the street in the rear yard)
Vienna Street, Excelsior halfway to Brazil, southeast side
27. 347 Vienna London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species
28. 351 Vienna Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), China and Vietnam (this species seldom does well in San Francisco)
29. 351 Vienna Brush cherry (Syzygium australe, previously knows as S. paniculatum, a different species), Eastern Australia
**Cross street carefully**
Vienna Street, northeast to Excelsior, northwest side
Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa)
30. 358 Vienna Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile
31. 354 Vienna Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), China, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis)
32. 318 Vienna Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeast USA
Vienna Street, Excelsior to Avalon, southeast side
33. 701 Excelsior Pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii), Southern China, Laos, Vietnam (4 trees are in the sloping lawn on Vienna)
34. 701 Excelsior Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis), Eastern Australia (tree is on Vienna)
**Note the beautiful mosaic wall above the lawn**
35. 234 Vienna Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Eastern Mediterranean Basin (tree is across the street; seed pods can be used to make a chocolate substitute—though not recommended for true chocolate lovers)
36. 219 Vienna Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California and Sonora, Mexico
Avalon Street, Vienna to Athens, northeast side
37. 195 Vienna Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (4 shapely trees on Avalon; formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree)
38. 725 Avalon Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia
This walk ends here, a few yards southwest of its beginning at the Athens-Avalon Green Space.
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!
San Francisco Tree Map -Easily Find Landmark Trees Near You!
San Francisco tree lovers - wish you had an easy way to find San Francisco’s landmark trees easily, no matter where you are in the City?
Here’s a reminder about my MAP OF SAN FRANCISCO’S LANDMARK AND RARE TREES. Just click on the link to go to a map of San Francisco where each of the trees is represented by a dot at its location. Some of the locations are street addresses; where street addresses weren’t available, I’ve used GPS coordinates. Now you can walk or bike or drive anywhere in the City with your smart phone, navigate to the Landmark Trees section of sftrees.com, click on the link to the map, and easily find landmark and interesting trees near you! The data in the map is taken from the Landmark Trees link of my website, where I have catalogued the largest examples of each species of tree in San Francisco. Occasionally you’ll find a smaller tree on the map - typically because the tree is very rare in SF and only a few small specimens exist.
This map was introduced on the site in August 2020, but it’s not easy to find, and I’m not sure all of my readers know about it, so I’m giving it a bit of publicity here on my blog.
This map will live permanently at the top of the “Landmark Tree” page of sftrees.com. i hope you enjoy it!
Yerba Buena "Social Distancing" Tree Tour 3-21-21
We were invited by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival to do a tour of the trees in the lovely park between Mission and Howard, 3rd and 4th Streets in the SOMA neighborhood. The park was opened in 1993, and sits above the underground ballroom of the Marriott Hotel across the street, so the trees are planted in soil of various depths, placed on top of underground commercial space.
This tour was unique in two respects - first, there were no addresses to identify the tree locations. We walked clockwise (to the left) around the circular park, so we’ve laid out the photos and descriptions below in the order that we encountered the trees. And secondly, this tour was done without Dick Turner, who was out of town. Dick, we missed you!
The main sidewalk of the park is a large circle, with most (but not all) of the trees inside the circle. The tour starts near the Mission Street entrance at the northwest corner of the park, near several large coast redwoods. From there, walk clockwise (to the left) and complete the circle. This is by far our shortest tour, and shouldn’t take longer than 20-30 minutes.
Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to Southwest Oregon; CA coastal native (tallest tree species in the world)
After you’ve passed the redwoods, walking clockwise, look to your left as you pass a park building, and you’ll see a small purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera) from Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most commonly planted tree).
Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia
On your left, just after the Brisbane box trees are two Little Gem magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’) from southeastern USA.
California buckeye (Aesculus californica) - a California and San Francisco native! There are two large trees to your right, and they had just leafed out as we visited in March.
But the buckeyes have become targets for initial-carvers. Don’t do this!
Just past the buckeyes (which are on your right), on your left are some smaller shrubs - they are toyons (Heteromeles arbutifolia) an evergreen shrub native to extreme southwest Oregon, California, Baja California, and British Columbia. It is the sole species in its genus.
Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), from the Mediterranean Basin (source of pine nuts/pignoli)
Just past the Italian stone pine, on the left are several mature Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia) from East Asia. The bark of the Chinese elm comes off in puzzle-piece shapes.
Once you have passed the Martin Luther King fountain, on your left you’ll see some mature evergreen pear trees (Pyrus kawakamii) from Taiwan mixed in with Tasmanian tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) from southeastern Australia. Here a tree fern is framed by a multi-trunked pear tree.
As you round the circle, on your right are two Victorian box trees (Pittosporum undulatum) from Eastern Australia. They were in bloom as we visited - the flowers are intensely fragrant, which is why one of the common names for this tree is “mock orange”.
As you continue around the circle, there are a couple American sweetgums (Liquidambar styraciflua), from Eastern USA to Mexico & Central America. They are the trees very close to the sidewalk, and were bare of leaves (normal for March) on our visit.
Continuing on, fairly far from the sidewalk on your right is one mature coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) - it’s the tree with a round crown perhaps 50 feet from the sidewalk, surrounded by other trees. Coast live oak is a California and San Francisco native.
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!
That’s me underneath the world champion Monterey cypress!
The *World Champion* Monterey Cypress - in Pescadero!
This past weekend I made a “pilgrimage” to a tree that I’ve known about for a long time, but had never seen with my own eyes.
Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) is one San Francisco’s most common trees, especially in its parks. I’ve known for a long time that the largest Monterey cypress in the world was in Pescadero, California, south of San Francisco, but I’d never made the trek to see the tree. I didn’t even know how to find it, as there didn’t seem to be any information online about the exact location of the tree. My friend Matt Ritter (Cal Poly botany professor, tree savant and host of the California Big Tree Registry) solved that problem; he shared the address of the tree - which is 5751 Pescadero Creed Road in Pescadero - about 8 miles inland from Highway 1.
It’s a massive tree, and the owner is clearly very interested in preserving it, as there are many cables among the tree’s larger branches. That’s me in the photo above, and below is a photo taken from the uphill/east side of the tree, looking to the west.
This tree is on the National Register of Champion Trees and the California Big Tree Registry - it is 588 inches in circumference, 102 feet in height, and 111 feet wide.
Interestingly, according to Matt Ritter, the next four largest Monterey cypress trees are all in New Zealand!
Buena Vista "Social Distancing" Tree Tour 2-28-21
Occupying 37 acres at the top of a steep hill near the center of town, Buena Vista Park is the oldest official park in San Francisco, originally designated as Park Hill in 1867. Considered the city’s most wooded park, its slopes contain one of the few remaining natural groves of coast live oaks in the city. On yet another gorgeous sunny day in February, we toured the winding street that marks the western, southern, and eastern edges of the park. Buena Vista Avenue offers a glimpse of elegance in its large and beautiful homes and apartment buildings, each with stunning views across the street to the forest peak that is Buena Vista Park. The avenue also happens to present an array of distinctive trees along the way.
This walk follows the full loop of Buena Vista Avenue. Starting at Buena Vista Avenue West and Haight Street (a few steps east of Central Avenue), the walk heads uphill on the right side of Buena Vista, takes a quick dip down Waller Street, then back to Buena Vista, and continues around Buena Vista Avenue West and Buena Vista Avenue East, back to Haight Street. From there, the walk leads west on Haight to Central Avenue, across the street from the start of the walk. This walk is about a mile and a half long, and involves both uphill and downhill segments.
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 52. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
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).
Buena Vista Avenue West, Haight to Waller, west side
1. 969 Buena Vista Cabbage tree or tī koūka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand
2. 72 Central Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin (tree is between 935 and 921 Buena Vista; this is the back of a property on Central)
Three pollarded London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia),
3. 901 Buena Vista London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (3 pollarded trees on Buena Vista and more on Waller). To “pollard” a tree means to cut it repetitively, year after year, at the same joint - not every tree can handle this, but London plane trees react by creating a knobby ending that some (not all…) find aesthetically pleasing.
Waller Street, Buena Vista Avenue to Central, north side
4. 1118 Waller Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia (several trees in a row)
Waller Street, Central to Buena Vista, south side
(The tour wraps around the north and southeast sides of Walden House, which fills the triangular block; the official address is 815 Buena Vista Avenue West.)
5. 815 Buena Vista Silver dollar tree or Argyle apple (Eucalyptus cinerea), SE Australia (tree is on Waller, just east of Central; note the silvery leaves)
6. 815 Buena Vista Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia (tree is on Waller, just east of #5 above)
7. 815 Buena Vista Kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium), New Zealand (tree is on Waller, a few yards east of #6)
8. 815 Buena Vista Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), SE Australia (tree is on Waller, a few yards east of #7; there are many blackwoods in this area, many of them seedlings of the oldest trees.)
9. 815 Buena Vista Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California native! (tree is on Waller near Buena Vista; this undoubtedly grew from a jay-planted acorn from the native grove within the park across the street)
Buena Vista Avenue West, Waller to Central, north side
Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’)
10. 815 Buena Vista English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia and North Africa (tree is on the southeast side of Walden House, near Waller)
11. 815 Buena Vista Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), East Asia (a row of well-pruned trees is on the southeast side of Walden House, near Central)
Buena Vista Avenue West, Central to Frederick, north and west side
12. 783 Buena Vista Persian lime (Citrus x latifolia), horticultural form of South and Southeast Asian species
13. 777 Buena Vista After Dark peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa ‘Jervis Bay Afterdark’), Southwest Australian cultivar (often less vigorous than the green-leafed species)
Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)
14. 771 Buena Vista Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree)
15. 755 Buena Vista Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia
16. 731 Buena Vista Cabbage tree (Cussonia spicata), South Africa
17. 715 Buena Vista Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China (these two trees have been “skinned:” the fuzzy leaf bases have been pruned off to reveal the ringed trunks; for comparison, note the unskinned specimen of the same species in front of the next house)
Buena Vista Avenue West, Frederick to Java, west side
18. 639 Buena Vista Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium), New Zealand
Dragon tree (Dracaena draco)
19. 635 Buena Vista Dragon tree (Dracaena draco), Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and W Morocco (cool tree, this is a rare tree in San Francisco, and this specimen is a “city champion”: the largest of its kind in San Francisco)
20. 635 Buena Vista Hopseed tree (Dodonaea viscosa), native throughout tropical and subtropical parts of the world, and most commonly seen in its purple-leafed form
Buena Vista Avenue West, Java to Upper Terrace, west side
21. 585 Buena Vista Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia
22. 525 Buena Vista Butterspoon tree (Cunonia capensis), South Africa (very uncommon in San Francisco; note the curious leaf buds)
23. 525 Buena Vista Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeastern USA (2 trees)
24. 501 Buena Vista Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), West Mediterranean Basin (northernmost natural range of any palm in the world)
Buena Vista Avenue East, Upper Terrace to Park Hill, south side
25. 485 Buena Vista Myoporum or ngaio in Māori (Myoporum laetum), New Zealand (this species is dying all over San Francisco, due to an insect pest called thrips; note that the leaves are poisonous)
26. 455 Buena Vista Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia
27. 447 Buena Vista Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile
28. 423 Buena Vista Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Eastern Australia (two trees; feel the spongy bark)
28b. 415 Buena Vista Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), Southwest Oregon and Northwest California (this is the twin-trunked coniferous tree just inside the fence; the branchlets droop)
29. across the street Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), a California native! (tree is across the street)
**The walk passes the front of the old St Joseph’s Hospital, which was turned into the Park Hill condominiums in the early 1990s**
[30 not used]
31. 351 Buena Vista Kapuka (Griselinia littoralis), New Zealand (a city champion: the largest of this species in San Francisco)
Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos)
31b. 351 Buena Vista Chinese fan palms (Livistona chinensis), Japan and Taiwan (the young palms midway along the Park Hill drive, inside the gate; these are the only ones we know of in San Francisco; watch these rare trees as they grow up)
32. 351 Buena Vista Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), Eastern Australia (a row of four trees)
33. 351 Buena Vista European weeping birch (Betula pendula), Eurasia and North Africa (not usually well-adapted to San Francisco)
Park Hill Avenue, south of Buena Vista, west side
34. 351 Buena Vista Australian tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum), southeast Australia (trees are on Park Hill, above the wall and fence; note their wonderfully contorted trunks)
35. 351 Buena Vista New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (several trees are along Park Hill)
Buena Vista Avenue East, Park Hill to Buena Vista Terrace, southeast side
36. 267 Buena Vista Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South Asia (these street trees have been beautifully pruned into a “lifted” hedge, or a hedge on stilts)
37. 259 Buena Vista Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana), San Diego County, CA (this long-needled pine is across the street in Buena Vista Park; though adaptable to cultivation, this is the rarest pine species in the world)
38. 253 Buena Vista Washington thorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) Eastern USA (row of street trees from here to Buena Vista Terrace; beware of the long thorns on the branches)
39. 253 Buena Vista Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to Southwest Oregon; CA coastal native (tallest tree species in the world)
40. 215 Buena Vista Grapefruit tree (Citrus x paradisi), hybrid of two Southeast Asian species: sweet orange and pomelo (within the yard to the west)
41. 201 Buena Vista Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain
a row of Mexican fan palms (Washingtonia robusta), with the financial district in the background
Duboce Avenue, Buena Vista to Alpine Terrace, both sides
42. 5 Buena Vista Terrace Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California and Sonora, Mexico
Buena Vista, Duboce to Adah’s Staircase (Waller), east side
43. 181 Buena Vista Himalayan white birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii), Western Himalayas
44. 171 Buena Vista Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana), Southern Brazil (usually a shrub, sometimes becoming a tree; notable for its intense purple flowers; loves San Francisco!)
45. 141 Buena Vista Italian bay tree (Laurus nobilis), Mediterranean Basin (this is the bay leaf of culinary value; crush a leaf to smell it)
Adah’s Staircase (Waller Street), east of Buena Vista, north side
46. 25 Buena Vista Shamel ash (Fraxinus uhdei), Mexico (tree is a few yards down the steep sidewalk on the south side the building)
Buena Vista, Adah’s Staircase to Haight, east side
47. 21 Buena Vista Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), Mediterranean Basin (not a tree; usually a large shrub)
48. 15 Buena Vista Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (four trees on the property line)
49. 11 Buena Vista Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Norfolk Island, South Pacific (this is the distinctive “Christmas tree” in the yard to the east of the building)
Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
50. 1 Buena Vista Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay
**Cross Haight Street and head west along the north side of the street**
Haight Street, Baker to Central, north side
51. 1 Baker Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (tree is on Haight)
52. 1150 Haight Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum), Eastern Australia
This walk ends at Haight and Central, across the street from its beginning.
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!
Marina "Social Distancing" Tree Tour 2-21-21
Laid out following the 1915 Pan-Pacific International Exposition, the Marina District is, today, one of the most appealing neighborhoods in the city, marked by a decidedly Mediterranean theme in the design of its elegant homes and by a disruption of the street grid seen in most other parts of the city. Neighborhoods of relative affluence generally result in well-tended trees and gardens, and the Marina is no exception, with trees carefully shaped and pruned to preserve views and let in sunlight on the narrow streets. This neighborhood enjoys easy access to the Marina Green, Fort Mason, the Presidio, and the Bay. Fog and steady winds can be a daily presence during the summer, but a sunny winter day in the Marina is like no other in the city. We enjoyed such a day on Sunday as we laid out this tree tour.
This walk focuses on the triangle defined by Marina Boulevard, Fillmore Street, and Cervantes Boulevard. It begins at the southwest corner of Marina Boulevard and Fillmore Street. The walk leads a few yards south on Fillmore before turning southwest on Retiro Way, jogging slightly at Casa Way, and continuing west on Rico Way. At Avila Street, the walk heads northeast for half a block, then returns southwest on Avila to Cervantes Boulevard, southeast on Cervantes to Beach Street, east on Beach to Retiro, and then north on Retiro back to its starting point on Fillmore. This walk is a little more than one mile long, but, unlike recent walks, this one is entirely flat.
Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea
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 43. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
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).
Fillmore Street between Marina and Retiro, west side
1. 301 Marina Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea), Mexico and Central America (tree is on Fillmore)
2. 301 Marina Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Southeastern USA (tree is on Fillmore, tucked tightly against the wall of the house)
Turn right on Retiro Way. Retiro Way, Fillmore to Casa Way, northwest side
3. 301 Marina Meyer lemon (Citrus x meyeri), hybrid of Southeast Asian species (tree is on Retiro)
4. 155 Retiro Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree)
5. 143 Retiro Marjory Channon pittosporum (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjory Channon’), New Zealand
Jog slightly to the right to 2 Casa Way, then continue south on Retiro.
closeup of Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon
6. 2 Casa Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), Southeast Australia (there are many throughout the neighborhood, but this is one of the largest and most beautiful)
Turn right (west) on Rico Way. Rico Way, Casa to Avila, north and northeast side
7. 12 Rico Brush cherry (Syzygium australe, previously known as S. paniculatum), Eastern Australia
8. 26 Rico Evergreen dogwood (Cornus capitata), Himalayas (watch for the white flowers in late spring, followed by red fruits in the fall)
9. 40 Rico Tree aloe (Aloe arborescens), South Africa (this species blooms reliably almost anywhere in the city from late January into March; hummingbirds love the tubular flowers)
English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Western Europe and North Africa (tree is behind the aloe; this cultivar lacks the sharp teeth typically found on the leaf margins, and has smaller clusters of red berries)
Natchez crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x ‘Natchez’)
10. 60 Rico Natchez crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x ‘Natchez’), hybrid of Asian species (developed by the National Arboretum in DC; notable for its beautifully mottled bark, outstanding fall color, and its mildew resistance, making it a good choice for San Francisco; these two trees are the biggest of their kind in San Francisco: City Champions!)
11. 85 Rico Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, CA native (tree is across the street; the most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber)
12. 490 Avila Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin (four trees on Rico)
13. 490 Avila Japanese camellia or rose of winter (Camellia japonica), East Asia (two multi-trunked trees on Rico; though usually grown as a shrub for its beautiful late winter/spring flowers, Japanese camellia is actually a small tree)
Turn right on Avila, and cross to the west side of the street. Avila Street, Marina to Cervantes, northwest side
14. 425 Marina Orange tree (Citrus x sinensis), hybrid of Asian species (tree is in the rear garden, on Avila)
White flowering plum (Prunus cerasifera)
15. 425 Marina White flowering plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (tree is in the rear garden, on Avila; less commonly seen than the pink flowering plums)
16. 465 Avila New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium), New Zealand
17. 465 Avila Saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana), hybrid of East Asian species, developed in France
18. 451 Avila Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia (on the right of the driveway)
Hercules tree aloe (Aloidendron ‘Hercules’)
19. 451 Avila Hercules tree aloe (Aloidendron ‘Hercules’), hybrid of two South African species (this small but stunning front garden was created by Stephanie Green). The Hercules tree aloes may be City Champions – the largest in San Francisco.
20. 451 Avila Sago (Cycas revoluta), Japan (eventually becomes a short-trunked tree; note the dramatic flowering cone in the center of the foliage)
Sago (Cycas revoluta
21. 431 Avila Cabbage tree (Cordyline australis ‘Atropurpurea’), New Zealand
22. 431 Avila Blue Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis var. argentea), Morocco and Algeria (this is another stunning garden created by Stephanie Green)
23. 431 Avila Baby queen palm (Chamaedorea plumosa), Chiapas, Mexico (tree is within the entry courtyard)
Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana
Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana), South Brazil (five trees)
Ovens wattle (Acacia pravissima)
Turn right on Cervantes Boulevard for a number of trees fronting 200 Cervantes, after which you’ll backtrack and head southeast on Cervantes, crossing Avila Street.
24. 200 Cervantes Ovens wattle (Acacia pravissima), East Australia (tree is on Avila, in another garden by Stephanie Green; the tree is one of San Francisco’s biggest, possibly a City Champion)
25. 200 Cervantes Waggie palm (Trachycarpus fortunei ‘Wagnerianus’), China (tree is on Avila)
Waggie palm (Trachycarpus fortunei ‘Wagnerianus’)
Cervantes Blvd, northwest of Avila, northeast side
26. 200 Cervantes Cabbage tree or tī koūka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (6 trees)
27. 200 Cervantes Showy banksia (Banksia speciosa), Western Australia
28. 200 Cervantes After Dark peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa ‘Jervis Bay Afterdark’), southwest Australian cultivar (often less vigorous than the green-leafed species)
29. 200 Cervantes Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia ‘Charles Grimaldi’), hybrid of South American species (big yellow flowers within the walled garden; developed locally and named for the late San Francisco garden designer)
30. 200 Cervantes China doll tree (Radermachera sinica), China and Taiwan (within the walled garden, behind the angel’s trumpet)
Cervantes Blvd, Avila to Beach, northeast side
31. 400 Avila Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South Asia (tree is on Cervantes; a common, although problematic, street tree throughout San Francisco)
32. 178 Cervantes Fern-leaf Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus subsp. asplenifolius), CA’s Channel Islands, except Catalina; CA native
33. 168 Cervantes Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia
Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia)
34. 138 Cervantes Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia
35. 130 Cervantes Purple potato bush (Lycianthes rantonnetii), Paraguay (typically a large shrub, this has been trained into a tree-like form; flowers all year)
Purple potato bush (Lycianthes rantonnetii)
36. 124 Cervantes English hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata), west and central Europe
37. 118 Cervantes Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), East Asia (watch for the big pink flowers in April)
Turn left (east) on Beach Street. Beach Street, Cervantes to Retiro, north side
Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum)
38. 1770 Beach Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), Southern China
39. 1775 Beach Loquat (Rhaphiolepis loquata, syn. Eriobotrya japonica), Southeast China, Vietnam, and Taiwan (two trees across the street; fruit is edible)
40. 1764 Beach Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia
Turn left on Retiro Way. Retiro Way, Beach to Casa, west side
41. 25 Retiro Soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria), Chile
**Carefully cross Retiro Way to the east side**
Not a tree, but a cool solar installation in lieu of windows in the Marina!
42. 20 Retiro Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan
Retiro Way, Casa to Fillmore, southeast side
43. 120 Retiro Mock-orange (Pittosporum tobira), Japan, China, and Korea (intensely fragrant flowers later in the year)
The Marina tree tour ends here, a few yards from its beginning at Fillmore and Marina Blvd.
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!
Sunnyside "Social Distancing" Tree Tour
In the euphemistically named Sunnyside neighborhood, we enjoyed a truly superb sunny Sunday chalking out our latest tree tour. We began at a neighborhood treasure: the Sunnyside Conservatory, which dates to 1898. After years of decline, it was designated City Landmark #78 in 1975 and has, in recent years, seen a series of upgrades in access, hardscape, and plantings, thanks to a notable partnership between the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, the Department of Public Works, and an active local support group, Friends of Sunnyside Conservatory. (Read more about the project at sunnysideconservatory.org.)
This walk begins at the front gate of the Sunnyside Conservatory on Monterey Blvd. Look for the white numbers on the concrete curbing and retaining walls along the broad walk through the Conservatory’s garden, eventually exiting up the steps at the northeast corner to Joost Avenue. At Joost, the tour heads west on Joost to Congo Street, then returns on the north side of Joost to the Mini-Park mid-block. It then heads up the steps through the Mini-Park to Mangles Avenue, before returning down the steps to Joost again. At Joost, the walk continues east to Baden, then south on Baden to Monterey Blvd, and finally west on Monterey to the Sunnyside Conservatory. This walk is barely one mile long. Be forewarned that there are several flights of steps involved, through the Conservatory and up to Joost, and again from Joost up to Mangels and back down within the Mini-Park.
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 51. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed. (To preserve the sanctity of the Sunnyside Conservatory’s garden, we have only provided the numbers, in white, for the trees on this portion of the walk.)
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).
Sunnyside Conservatory at 236 Monterey Blvd, between Baden and Congo streets, north side
(We have only chalked the numbers, in white, on concrete curbing and retaining walls within the Conservatory gardens.)
1. Pindo palm (Butia odorata), Southern Brazil and Uruguay
2. River banksia (Banksia seminuda),southwest Australia (look for the bright yellow flowers)
3. Grass-leaf hakea (Hakea francisiana), south and southwest Australia
Variegated century plant (Agave americana ‘Variegata’)
4. Variegated century plant (Agave americana ‘Variegata’), Mexico,southwest USA
5. Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain (these trees are over 100 years old)
Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis)
6. Waggie palm (Trachycarpus fortunei ‘Wagnerianus’), China
7. Cabbage tree or tī koūka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand
8. Tree fuchsia (Fuchsia arborescens), C America (this large shrubby fuchsia flowers all year in San Francisco)
Chilean palm (Jubaea chilensis)
9. Chilean palm (Jubaea chilensis), Chile (one of San Francisco’s finest specimens, this specimen is over 100 years old)
10. Evergreen dogwood (Cornus capitata), Himalayas (watch for the white flowers in late spring, followed by red fruits in the fall)
11. Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Australia, Norfolk Island
12. Tasmanian tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica), southeast Australia
12B Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi), NE Australia (compare the trunks on this tree fern and the previous one)
13. Nikau palm (Rhopalostylis sapida), New Zealand
**Exit the main part of the Conservatory’s garden at the northeast corner, following a flight of steps through a garden passageway to Joost Avenue; the trees noted by number are on the right and left of the steps**
14. (right) Giant bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), South Africa
15. (left) Stinging wigandia (Wigandia urens), Southern Mexico to NW South America (beware of the stinging hairs on the leaves)
16. (left) Firewheel tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus), NE Australia
closeup of a lilly pilly tree (Syzygium smithii, previously known as Acmena smithii)
17. (right) Pompom tree (Dais cotinifolia), South Africa (watch for the pink flowers in early summer)
Joost Avenue, west to Congo Street, south side
18. 257 Joost Lilly pilly tree (Syzygium smithii, previously known as Acmena smithii), eastern Australia
19. 265 Joost Cabbage tree or tī koūka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (this is a much older specimen than the one in the Conservatory’s garden)
20. 277 Joost Lemon (Citrus x limon) hybrid of southeast Asia species
21. 281 Joost Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Norfolk Island, South Pacific
Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
22. 289 Joost Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)
23. 293 Joost Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japan, China, Korea
** Cross to the north side of Joost**
Joost Avenue, east of Congo Street to the Mini-Park, north side
Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus)
*Note: the next five trees are actually on Joost, along the side of 400 Congo)
24. 400 Congo Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus), eastern Australia
25. 400 Congo Hackberry (Celtis species)
26. 400 Congo Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), Iran
27. 400 Congo Mulberry (Morus species)
28. 400 Congo Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’), Morocco and Algeria
29. 268 Joost Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa),southwest Australia
30 266 Joost Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru, Chile
31. 262 Joost Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), eastern Australia
**Head up the steps through the Mini-Park, almost to Mangles Avenue**
Within the Mini-Park, on right or left of steps
31B. (left) Coffeeberry (Frangula californica), CA native, including San Francisco
32. (left) Champak (Magnolia champaca) South and southeast Asia (flowers are fragrant)
33. (left) Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), E Asia
34. (right) English or cherry laurel, English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), Black Sea (this species and the next one were originally part of a hedge that has been allowed to grow beyond its original bounds)
35. (right) Portugal laurel (Prunus lusitanica), France to Portugal and Morocco
36. (left) Islay (Prunus ilicifolius), San Francisco native tree (the namesake of Islais Creek in Glen Canyon)
37. (left) Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), CA native, including San Francisco
38. (left) Grapefruit tree (Citrus x paradisi), hybrid of two other citrus: sweet orange and pomelo (within the yard to the west)
39. (right) Ray Hartman ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’), hybrid of CA native species
40. (right) Hopseed tree (Dodonaea viscosa ‘Purpurea’), native throughout tropical and subtropical parts of the world (this was likely a hedge planting originally)
Century plant (Agave salmiana var. ferox)
41. (right) Century plant (Agave salmiana var. ferox), Mexico (this succulent is not a tree at all, but the tall, asparagus-like flower stalk will be tree-like in form when in full bloom; the stalk will likely grow another 15 feet taller before flowering; the plant will die after flowering)
**Return down the steps to Joost**
Joost Avenue, east to Baden Street, north side
42. 238 Joost Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain
43. 226 Joost Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana), eastern Australia (often the first species to bloom in January)
***Cross Joost carefully***
Joost Avenue, east to Baden, south side
44. 201 Joost Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), eastern USA to Mexico and Central America (these two trees are surprisingly evergreen)
English holly (Ilex aquifolium)
45. 201 Joost English holly (Ilex aquifolium), W Europe and N Africa (a magnificent specimen)
Joost Avenue, east of Baden, south side
46. 199 Joost Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia),southwest Australia (first tree across the street)
Baden Street, Joost to Monterey, west side
47. 201 Joost Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii), Japan and Korea (tree is in the rear yard, on Baden)
48. 190 Monterey Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata), eastern Australia (tree is in the rear yard, on Baden, across the street; seldom planted anymore, as it has proven to be highly invasive)
Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata)
48. 215 Baden King palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), eastern Australia
[49 not used]
Monterey Blvd, west from Baden, north side
50. 222 Monterey Red-leaf photinia (Photinia x fraseri), hybrid (more commonly seen as a dense shrub with red new foliage along our freeways)
51. 236 Monterey Carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides), eastern Australia (several nice specimens continue along Monterey to Congo St.)
The Sunnyside Tree Walk ends here, where it began, at the Sunnyside Conservatory.
A short commercial: I’m Mike Sullivan, author of The Trees of San Francisco and webmaster of www.sftrees.com, and I created this tour. You can follow me on my tree-themed Instagram page at @sftreeguy. If you enjoyed the tour, I think you’ll like my book - it’s hard to keep a local book in print, so click here to buy a copy or visit your local independent bookseller to get a copy!
Tu Bishvat ט״ו בשבט Tree Tour
This tour celebrates the Jewish holiday of Tu BiShvat (Hebrew: ט״ו בשבט), which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat (in 2021, Tu BiShvat begins at sunset on January 27 and ends in the evening of January 28). It is also called Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot, literally “New Year of the Trees”. In contemporary Israel, the day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day.
The tour starts at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, at the northwest corner of California Street and Presidio Avenue. From there, head west on California Street, towards Walnut Street.
1. The last two trees before you reach Walnut Street are London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia). The London plane is the most common street tree in San Francisco, and one of the most popular urban trees in the world. It was a natural hybrid that occurred as European visitors to America in the 1600s brought American plane trees home to Europe, where they mingled with a close botanical relative (oriental plane trees) from Europe. The “children” of these American and European parents had what we call “hybrid vigor”, and the London plane has been with us ever since!
Cross Walnut Street, and turn right onto Walnut.
2. 431 Walnut Two ficus trees (Ficus microcarpa), from South and Southeast Asia to northern Australia. This used to be San Francisco’s most common street tree, but it hasn’t been planted for many years, as its roots are bad sidewalk-breakers. We also lost a third of the city’s ficus trees in a cold snap in 1991, when the temperature dipped to 27 degrees fahrenheit in some parts of the city - causing the trees to die overnight.
two red-flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia)
3. 3428 Sacramento Two red-flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia), from southwest Australia, near Perth. Despite its name, this tree’s flowers can be red, orange, pink, white or in between - the flowers of these trees on Sacramento seem to have a coral hue to them. The fruits of this species look like the bowl of a small pipe. It’s my favorite San Francisco tree - it puts out spectacular blooms typically in July and August. This tree hasn’t gotten the message and is putting out its blooms in January!
Continue west on Sacramento, and cross Laurel Street.
4. NW corner of Sacramento and Laurel. New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand. This tree is called pōhutukawa in the Māori language, and that is what it is called by New Zealanders. This is the 2nd most common street tree in San Francisco. It’s known for its brilliant red flowers in summer - you can’t see them now, but you can see the other thing that the tree is famous for, which is its “aerial roots” - roots that hang down from the tree’s canopy.
5. 333 Laurel Two southern magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora), native to Southeast USA. (This is state tree of Mississippi). The next tree on Laurel is a large London plane tree (like the ones you saw on California Street). You can easily see the seed balls of the tree in the tree canopy.
Cross Laurel Street, and head left (west) on the north side of Clay Street.
pollarded London plane trees (Platanuts x acerifolia) in front of the Korean consulate
6. 3500 Clay In front of the Korean consulate at this address are four London plane trees that have been “pollarded”. To “pollard” a tree means to cut it repetitively, year after year, at the same joint - not every tree can handle this, but London plane trees react by creating a knobby ending that some (not all…) find aesthetically pleasing.
Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana)
7. 3512 Clay (to left of the driveway as you face the house) Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana) from Southern Brazil. This is the small tree with deep purple flowers.
8. 3580 Clay The large tree in the yard (not in the sidewalk) at this address is a Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum) from Eastern Australia. When it’s in bloom, this tree has a powerful perfume that you can smell from around a corner.
Turn right and head downhill on Locust.
9. 200 Locust. As you approach the corner, there are six blackwood acacia trees (Acacia melanoxylon) from southeast Australia at this address. These trees get very large and are very brittle when mature, so the City is discouraging the planting of this species.
Turn right onto Washington Street.
10. 3565 Washington Two Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) from Japan, China, Korea in the courtyard and against the house at this address.
Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus)
11. 3525-27 Washington A Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus); this is the first California native that we’ve seen so far - it’s native to the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California.
12. 3515 Washington Two olive trees (Olea europaea) from the Mediterranean Basin. This tree has a part in the story of Noah and the ark from the book of Genesis: וַתָּבֹא אֵלָיו הַיּוֹנָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב, וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵה-זַיִת טָרָף בְּפִיהָ; וַיֵּדַע נֹחַ, כִּי-קַלּוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ. “And the dove came in to him at eventide; and lo in her mouth an olive-leaf freshly plucked; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.”
13. 3461 Washington Another Victorian box tree from Australia (look up - it’s the big tree above the garage).
Turn right and head uphill on Walnut.
deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara)
14. As you walk up Laurel, at the driveway to the large corner property, you’ll see a very large deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara) from the Himalayas. Among Hindus, deodar cedars are regarded as divine trees - the name deodar derives from the Sanskrit term devadāru, meaning “wood of the gods”.
Cross Clay Street, then turn left and cross Walnut to the east side of the street. Then head downhill on Walnut.
closeup of bark of a Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia)
15. 304 Walnut Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) from East Asia. The bark of this tree is beautiful - it comes off in puzzle-piece shapes.
Cross Sacramento Street and turn left/east on Sacramento.
16. All of the trees on this block of Sacramento between Walnut and Presidio are Brazilian pepper trees (Schinus terebinthifolius), from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. There are two at 3391 Sacramento, two at 3375 Sacramento, and three large ones at 3555 Sacramento.
mayten trees (Maytenus boaria)
17. When you reach the corner of Presidio Avenue, look kitty-corner to the northeast corner of Presidio and Sacramento, and you’ll see three mayten trees (Maytenus boaria) from Chile.
Turn right, head downhill one block to your starting point!
A short commercial: I’m Mike Sullivan, author of The Trees of San Francisco and webmaster of www.sftrees.com, and I created this tour. You can follow me on my tree-themed Instagram page at @sftreeguy. If you enjoyed the tour, I think you’ll like my book - it’s hard to keep a local book in print, so click here to buy a copy or visit your local independent bookseller to get a copy!
Telegraph Hill "Social Distancing" Tree Tour 1-16-21
If there is one iconic neighborhood in San Francisco, Telegraph Hill is it. On a beautiful but worrisomely dry Saturday, the neighborhood’s trees drew us to enjoy spectacular views of the Bay, the downtown skyline, and Russian and Nob hills, along with the distinctive gardens of the Filbert Steps. Narrow streets don’t always allow for generous tree plantings, but we found quite a few trees of interest in this week’s tour.
Our walk begins at the northeast corner of Washington Square at Stockton and Filbert streets, opposite the popular Mama’s restaurant. It then heads north on Stockton to Greenwich Street, east on Greenwich for two blocks to its dead end below Coit Tower, then back west to Grant Avenue, south on Grant to Filbert, and east on Filbert to Kearny Street. At the intersection of Filbert and Kearny, the walk heads east up the steps toward Coit Tower, then back down the east side of the hill on the Filbert Steps to Montgomery Street, south on the east side of Montgomery to Vallejo Street, west on Vallejo to Columbus Avenue, northwest on Columbus to Stockton, and north on Stockton. At Union Street, the walk circles Washington Square in a clockwise direction, heading west on Union, northwest on Columbus, and finally east on Filbert, back to the beginning of the tour at Stockton and Filbert. This walk is approximately 2 miles long. Be forewarned that there are several flights of stairs on Filbert, Montgomery, and Vallejo streets; this is, after all, a hill.
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 49. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
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).
Washington Square, northeast corner
1. Stockton at Filbert Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia and South Pacific Islands. Sadly, these 3 trees have been topped (what’s that about, Recreation & Park Department?), but they remain the biggest specimens of this tree in San Francisco.
Filbert Street, west of Stockton, north side
2. 620 Filbert Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), Southeast Asia (typically grown as a house plant in most of the country)
Stockton Street, Filbert to Greenwich, west side
3. 1736 Stockton Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (3 trees across the street, in front of the Maybeck Building; Bernard Maybeck was one of the Bay Area’s most important architects)
Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana)
Stockton Street, north of Greenwich, west side
4. 1821 Stockton Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana), Eastern Australia (often the first species to bloom in January - this tree was just beginning to bloom on our visit)
5. 1801 Stockton Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia (a large-leafed selection of the water gum seen at #41)
Greenwich Street, Stockton to Grant, north side
6. 576 Greenwich Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (the first in this row is one of San Francisco’s shapeliest specimens and is a rare female ginkgo, hence foul-smelling fruit in autumn)
7. 568 Greenwich Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis), Guadalupe Island, Mexico (above the wall; this species is perfectly adapted to San Francisco)
8. 526 Greenwich Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (this tree is the other female in the row – on our visit we could see fruits on the sidewalk and a few still hanging in the upper branches of the tree)
Greenwich Street, east of Grant, north side
9. 444 Greenwich Loquat (Rhaphiolepis loquata, syn. Eriobotrya japonica), Southeastern China (fruit is edible)
Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis)
10. 442 Greenwich Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China (the furry trunk is characteristic of this palm)
Octopus tree, (Schefflera actinophylla), N Australia)
11. 430 Greenwich Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands
Greenwich Street, east of Grant, south side
12. 427 Greenwich Philodendron (Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum), Brazil (city champion: the largest specimen of this species in San Francisco)
13. 439 Greenwich Silver maple (Acer saccharinum), Eastern North America (2 trees) These trees, like the horse chestnut next door at 447 Greenwich, have been heavily pruned, apparently to preserve views.
Philodendron (Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum) - we think this may be a “City Champion: - biggest philodendron in SF!
14. 447 Greenwich Horse chestnut (Aesculus sp.), Eurasia
15. 449 Greenwich Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South Asia (a common, although often problematic, street tree throughout San Francisco)
16. 459 Greenwich English hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata), western and central Europe
17. 483 Greenwich Fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), East Africa (4 trees)
A “rock library” on Grant with a Kerouac quote - only on Telegraph Hill!
Grant Avenue, Greenwich to Filbert, west side
18. 1653 Grant London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (2 trees)
19. 1601 Grant Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeastern USA
Filbert Street, Grant to Kearny, north side
20. 480 Filbert Brush cherry (Syzygium australe), Eastern Australia
21. 456 Filbert White alder (Alnus rhombifolia), California native
End of Filbert Street at Kearny, inside the park
22. Inside the park Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), Mediterranean Basin (source of pine nuts/pignoli)
**Take the steps up to Telegraph Hill Boulevard and Coit Tower**
Filbert Steps east of Kearny, north side
23. ¾ up the steps Ombu (Phytolacca dioica), Argentina
**Follow Lombard Hill Boulevard for a few yards, then take the Filbert Steps down toward Montgomery Street**
Filbert Steps, east of Lombard Hill Blvd, north side
24. first set of steps Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium), New Zealand
Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris)
25. 310 Filbert Sydney golden wattle (Acacia longifolia), Eastern Australia (this small tree has been artfully trained over the gate to the entry walk)
26. 300 Filbert Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris), New Caledonia. Similar to Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), but this species has a pronounced lean or curve at its base - it was only recently learned that the tree always leans towards the equator, so here it is leaning towards the south, but in the southern hemisphere it leans north.
**Turn left when you hit the landing**
27. 300 Filbert Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana), Southern Brazil (usually a shrub, sometimes becoming a tree; notable for its intense purple flowers; loves San Francisco!)
Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta)
28. 300 Filbert Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California and Sonora, Mexico
**Continue down the last flight of steps to the upper part of Montgomery, cross the street, and take the next set of steps down to the lower part of Montgomery, then head south**
Montgomery Street, Filbert to Union, east side
29. 1360 Montgomery Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japan, China, Korea (this Art Deco building from 1937 was featured in the 1947 movie, “Dark Passage,” starring Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart)
30. 1360 Montgomery Cabbage tree or tī koūka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand
**Note the row of Italian stone pines in the median of Montgomery**
31. 1308 Montgomery Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’), a variety of Eurasian species (2 trees in the median)
**Continue south on Montgomery, down the steps, and on to Vallejo Street**
Vallejo Street, Montgomery to Kearny, north side
32. top of first set of steps Giant bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), South Africa (one of San Francisco’s biggest specimens of this species)
33. 418 Vallejo Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), East Asia
34. 420 Vallejo Mountain aloe (Aloe marlothii), South Africa
35. 420 Vallejo Bearss lime (Citrus x latifolia), Southeast Asia
36. 442 Vallejo Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia
37. 455 Vallejo Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), Southeastern Australia (six trees across the street)
38. 470 Vallejo Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin
39. 490 Vallejo Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia
Vallejo Street, Kearny to Grant, south side
WOW - this Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) was an unexpected find at the corner of Vallejo and Kearny!
40. 1165 Kearny Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Eastern North America (tree is on Vallejo at Kearny; possibly a “City Champion”; certainly one of San Francisco’s largest specimens)
41. 551 Vallejo Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Eastern Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild, hence the common name; it is San Francisco’s most commonly planted street tree)
42. 1268 Grant Red maple (Acer rubrum), Ontario to Florida to Texas (two trees on Vallejo)
**There are few trees on the route along Columbus Avenue from Vallejo to Stockton, and on Stockton from Columbus to Union; enjoy the aromas of the many coffee shops and Italian restaurants along the way, and hope for an end to the pandemic so we may again enjoy the gastronomic pleasures of this neighborhood**
Washington Square, south side (all trees are within the park)
43. Union near Stockton Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (2 trees)
Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
44. West of #43 Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica), Morocco and Algeria
45. Near the Pit Stop Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to southwest Oregon; California coastal native (tallest tree species in the world)
46 Union near Columbus Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (3 young trees with brown fuzzy buds that will soon open into large fragrant white flowers)
Washington Square, west side (all trees are within the park)
47. Columbus near Filbert Fastigiate European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’), northwest Europe to Iran (eight young trees)
Washington Square, north side (all trees are within the park)
London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia) in Washington Square park
48. Filbert opposite the church London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern American and European species (six tall, deciduous trees)
49. Filbert near Stockton Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara), Himalayas
The Telegraph Hill Tree Walk ends here, a few yards from its beginning at Stockton and Filbert.
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!
Female ginkgos are "in season" - here's where to find them!
female ginkgo fruits - 1044 Shrader Street
Ginkgo trees are popular street trees worldwide, and San Francisco is no exception - many hundreds of them can be found citywide. There is a lot to like: ginkgos are beautiful trees, they thrive in urban settings, and the species has an amazing and ancient lineage, dating back 200 million years to the time of the dinosaurs.
But as in any metropolis, almost all of the ginkgos in San Francisco are male. That’s because female trees produce fleshy, yellowish, cherry-sized fruits that have a disagreeable (many would say disgusting) odor that has been likened to vomit or rancid butter. As a result, female ginkgos on San Francisco’s streets are typically mistakes - trees believed to be male when planted. And once owners discover that their ginkgo is a female, they often remove it, leaving even fewer on the City’s streets.
But I’m guessing that my blog readers would actually relish finding one of these smelly (but rare) trees nearby. Or maybe you have a pre-adolescent kid who would think it’s fun to visit a tree that smells like barf :) So readers, whatever your interest in the female of this species, I’ll give you some addresses in San Francisco where you can find female ginkgoes. There aren’t many, but I recently discovered some new ones in our 2020 #covidtreetours. The fruits are dropping from the trees now as I write this in January 2021, so it’s a good time to get the olfactory experience at these locations:
3371 21st between Valencia and Guerrero in the Mission
3386 22nd Street between Valencia and Guerrero in the Mission
Three female trees at 845 Guerrero (but on the Liberty Street side of the building)
1351 Clay Street on Nob Hill
Divisadero Street north of Oak Street, bordering the carwash
278 Eureka Street between 19th and 20th Street in the Castro
520-522 and 572 Greenwich on Telegraph Hill
116 Fair Oaks (two trees) in the Mission
654 Minnesota in Dogpatch
366 Montcalm Street in Peralta Heights
102 San Jose (two trees) in the Mission
592 Sanchez/19th in the Castro (two trees)
1044 Shrader in Cole Valley
2860 Union Street in Cow Hollow
And if you know of others, let me know at michaelsullivan415 [at] gmail.com!
Duboce Triangle "Social-Distancing" Tree Tour 12-20-20
Artwork by Jason Dewees
Duboce Triangle is a popular residential neighborhood defined by Market Street, Castro Street, and Duboce Avenue, at the northeastern corner of Eureka Valley. Dense with Victorian row houses alongside Marina-style buildings and a few bland structures from the 50s and 60s, the neighborhood may be most notable for its two major tree-lined streets: Noe and Sanchez. These two streets, with their arching canopies of mature trees planted in the early 70s, bear a strong resemblance to the elm-lined residential streets that filled cities of the East Coast and Midwest a half-century ago.
Our walk begins below The Lookout, on the corner of Market, Noe and 16th streets, across from the venerable Cafe Flore. It heads north on Noe to Beaver Street, west on Beaver to Castro Street, north on Castro to Henry Street, east on Henry to Noe, north on Noe to Duboce Avenue, east on Duboce to Walter Street, south on Walter to 14th Street, east on 14th to Sanchez, south on Sanchez to Henry, west on Henry to Noe, and south on Noe to 16th (in front of Cafe Flore), across the street from where the tour began. This walk is approximately 1 ½ miles long.
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 44. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
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).
Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) in foreground; a Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) behind them on the right
Beaver Street, Noe to Castro, south side
1. Beaver, west of Noe Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil (4 trees alongside of the Noe-Beaver Community Garden)
2. 7 Beaver Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California & Sonora, Mexico
3. 7 Beaver Ovens wattle (Acacia pravissima), Eastern Australia (watch for the soft yellow flowers within the next month)
4. 9 Beaver Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana), Lord Howe Island, Australia
5. 9 Beaver Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Eastern Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild; hence the common name; it is San Francisco’s most commonly planted street tree)
Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii)
6. 11 Beaver Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia and South Pacific Islands
7. 21 Beaver Cabbage tree or tī koūka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand
8. 21 Beaver Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japan, China, Korea
9. 20 Beaver Japanese blueberry tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens), East Asia (across the street)
10. 22 Beaver Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands (across the street)
11. 69 Beaver Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree)
Turn right on Castro. Castro Street, Beaver to Henry, east side
12. 245 Castro Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (brown fuzzy buds will open into large fragrant white flowers in a few weeks)
Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana) - San Francisco’s biggest specimen of this tree, at Castro and Henry Streets
13. 239 Castro Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Southeast USA (both sides of Castro are lined with these trees, from near Market to 14th streets, all planted in the early 70s)
Northwest Corner of Castro and Henry streets
14. School grounds Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana), California native: La Jolla, San Diego and Santa Rosa Island (its very limited natural distribution makes it the rarest pine in the world; this one, on the corner of the school grounds, is the largest in San Francisco, a City Champion!)
Turn right (downhill) on Henry Street, Castro to Noe, north side
15. 197 Henry Ginkgos (Ginkgo biloba), China (row of 4 trees, on the south side of Henry; these are all male trees, hence no smelly fruit)
American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
16. 190 Henry Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (3 trees here, but many can be found throughout the neighborhood; the tree was first introduced in San Francisco - the interesting San Francisco story can be found here)
17. 180 Henry American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Eastern USA to Mexico and Central America
18. 164 Henry London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern North American and European species
19. 156 Henry Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia
20. 148 Noe California buckeye (Aesculus californica), California; a San Francisco native tree! (tree is on Henry; note the silvery trunk)
California buckeye (Aesculus californica )
21. 148 Noe Ray Hartman ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’), hybrid of CA native species (tree is on Henry)
22. 148 Noe Hibiscus tree (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), tropical Asia (tree is on Henry; not known to thrive in San Francisco’s cool climate, but this specimen is doing well)
23. 148 Noe Purple potato bush (Lycianthes rantonnetii), Paraguay (tree is on Henry; typically a large shrub, this one has been trained into a tree-like form; flowers all year)
Turn left on Noe Street; Noe Street, Henry to 14th, west side
24. Noe at Henry Shamel ash (Fraxinus uhdei), Mexico (Noe is lined with these trees, mostly clustered in the bulb-outs at each intersection, all planted in the early 70s)
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) - San Francisco’s biggest carob, at 138 Noe Street
25. 138 Noe Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), East Mediterranean Basin (San Francisco’s biggest carob a “City Champion”!). The seed pods of this tree can be used to make a chocolate substitute—though not recommended for true chocolate lovers.
Noe Street, 14th to Duboce, east side
Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos)
26. Median, north of 14th Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), Eastern Australia (this tree is repeated in the median at Noe and Duboce; note the nearly round, silvery juvenile leaves, thought to resemble silver dollars)
27. 111 Noe Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (trees are on Noe and 14th at this address, as well as across the street at 892 - 14th; note the varying characters of the bark on these trees)
28. 81 Noe Marri (Corymbia calophylla), W Australia (looks like a white-flowered version of Corymbia ficifolia, #30B, but this is a distinct species with white flowers and differently shaped fruits
29. 69 Noe Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea ‘Rosenka’), Brazil (normally a vigorous vine, this specimen has been carefully staked and pruned into a small tree)
30. 69 Noe Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin
30-B. 61 Noe Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia
31. 43 Noe Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), a California native! (tree is across the street, within hospital parking lot; coast live oak is one of the few trees native to San Francisco)
Turn right on Duboce; Duboce Avenue, Noe to Walter, south side
32. 575 Duboce Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), East Asia
Turn right on Walter; Walter Street, Duboce to 14th, east side
Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’)
33. 27 Walter Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South and Southeast Asia to northern Australia (a common, although problematic, street tree throughout San Francisco)
trunk of an olive tree (Olea europaea) at 47 Walter
34. 47 Walter Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin
35. 65 Walter Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), Argentina, Bolivia
36. 69 Walter Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), eastern Australia
Turn left on 14th; 14th Street, Walter to Sanchez, north side
37. 822 - 14th Red maple (Acer rubrum), Ontario to Florida to Texas
**Turn right (south) on Sanchez to Henry, under a canopy of Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus) on the west side and red-flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia)on the east side**
Median on Sanchez at Henry streets
38. Median Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), Eastern Australia (the bigger tree; note the more slender adult foliage, compared to tree #26)
Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (the smaller tree, under the silver dollar gum)
Red maple (Acer rubrum) at 822 14th Street
Turn right on Henry; Henry Street, Sanchez to Noe, north side
39. 148 Sanchez Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (tree is on Henry)
40. 16 Henry After Dark peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa ‘Jervis Bay Afterdark’), Southwest Australian cultivar (often less vigorous than the green-leafed species)
41. 22 Henry Trident maple (Acer buergerianum), East Asia
42. 64 Henry Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia (this one has coral orange flowers)
**Stroll south on Noe, under a canopy of Shamel ashes (Fraxinus uhdei) at each intersection; they were noted at stop #24.
Turn left on Noe; Noe Street, 15th to Beaver, east side
43. 233 Noe Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), East Asia
Noe Street at Beaver, west side
44. 240 Noe Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (several trees are on both Noe and Beaver)
The Duboce Triangle Tree Walk ends at Noe and Market, in front of Cafe Flore.
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!
Salesforce Park "Social-Distancing" Tour 12-13-20
The “prehistoric garden”, with a ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) in full autumn glory on the left, and monkey puzzles (Araucaria araucana) with their characteristic silhouette on the right.
To paraphrase the US Post Office’s slogan, neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays the three tree geeks from their appointed rounds…
We survived a day of blistering heat in Mission Bay last summer, and a marginally cooler day in Westwood Park in early November, but Sunday, December 13, was our first encounter with real rain. And what a day it was, with more than half an inch adding to the half inch received Friday night, to roughly triple San Francisco’s seasonal rainfall to date. If you’re keeping track, that’s several inches below the average at this point in a rainy season that begins in October and runs (if we’re lucky) for almost six months.
Interpretive panel in the park, showing San Francisco’s rainfall patterns compared to other American cities
To our surprise, we were not the only folks strolling around Salesforce Park. Pathways are well-paved, and occasional shelter provides protection from the heaviest downpours. An interpretive panel at the western end of the park, attached to the railing between the two succulent gardens, explains the natural rainfall pattern experienced in San Francisco. Most of California enjoys a mediterranean-type climate, with rain falling during the cooler months and a nearly complete lack of rainfall during the warmer months. The panel provides an illuminating graphic comparison of the rainfall patterns in other major US cities; it’s clear that San Francisco is pretty unusual in its winter-only rainfall.
Mike, our fearless leader, had already created a walking tour of the park’s trees, which you can reach by clicking here, so we merely enjoyed a three-hour stroll-and-chat about the gardens. The glorious array of trees, shrubs, herbaceous, and succulent plants in the middle and around the perimeter of the three-block-long elevated park make up the greatest diversity of plants in any public space in the city, outside of the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Arranged by geographic origin, or in other distinct categories (succulents, palms, oaks), the plants offer a tour of the world’s flora, with an emphasis on the mediterranean-climate regions of southern Europe, North Africa and the Near East, California, central Chile, southwestern South Africa, and portions of South and Western Australia.
One of two “desert gardens” in the park; the plants with the orangish trunk at the back and upper left are dragon trees (Dracaena draco) from the Canary Islands, Madeira, Morocco and Cape Verde
It’s unlikely that we’ll be dealing with snow around here, and nighttime usually brings a halt to tree touring, but if you find yourself anxious to get out on a rainy day this winter, we strongly urge you to make the trip to Salesforce Park and enjoy this bold, horticulturally rich garden in the sky. You’ll want to visit in every season; arborescent aloes are in flower now, along with some South African and Australian members of the Protea family. Later in winter, California natives will pop, along with those from Chile and the Mediterranean.
We can also recommend some take-out from Luke’s Lobsters, an urban shack at the corner of 2nd and Mission streets. The lobster rolls are the best this side of Maine, which, incidentally, does not enjoy a mild mediterranean climate like ours.
Pacific Heights "Social-Distancing" Tree Tour 11-29-20
With significant rains still at least another week away, we enjoyed a picture-perfect day in Pacific Heights, focusing on trees between Scott and Gough streets, and California and Vallejo streets. The neighborhood is filled with large and elegant homes, often with spectacular views of the Bay, and a number of international consulates. It also presents a delightful diversity of trees, some among the largest of their kind in the city.
We begin this tour at an exceptional specimen at 2760 Sacramento Street, then head east to Steiner Street, north past Alta Plaza Park to Washington Street, east on Washington to Fillmore Street, north on Fillmore to Pacific Avenue, east on Pacific to Webster Street, north on Webster to Broadway, east on Broadway to Buchanan Street, north on Buchanan to Vallejo Street, and east on Vallejo to Gough Street. The tour then turns south on Gough to Broadway, west on Broadway to Octavia Street, south on Octavia to Washington, west alongside Lafayette Park to Laguna Street, and then south on Laguna alongside the park to Sacramento, west on Sacramento to Fillmore, south on Fillmore to California Street, west on California to Scott Street, and finally north on Scott to Sacramento, ending a few doors west of the tour’s beginning. This walk is just over 2-½ miles long.
soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria) - a “City Champion” - biggest soapbark in San Francisco - and one of the best trees of any kind in the City!
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 47. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
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).
Sacramento Street, Scott to Pierce, north side
1. 2760 Sacramento Soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria), Chile (2 other trees, across the street and at 2730 Sacramento; very rare in San Francisco). This tree at 2760 Sacramento is a “City Champion” - the biggest of its species in San Francisco, and a spectacular tree generally.
Sacramento Street, Pierce to Steiner, south side
2. 2693 Sacramento Cypress (Hesperocyparis sp.), this is a California native cypress, but the different species are often hard to tell apart, and this one stumped our three experts.
African fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior) at 2689 Sacramento - a beautiful specimen!
3. 2689 Sacramento African fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), East and South Africa
4. 2672 Sacramento Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Eastern Mediterranean Basin (seed pods can be used to make a chocolate substitute— though not recommended for true chocolate lovers)
5. 2671 Sacramento Carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides), Eastern Australia
**Note the attractive shade garden against the house at 2621 Sacramento**
Turn left on Steiner. Steiner Street, Sacramento to Clay, west side
6. 2211 Steiner Rusty-leaf fig (Ficus rubiginosa), Eastern Australia
7. 2231 Steiner Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin
8. 2243 Steiner Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeast Australia
SE Corner of Alta Plaza Park (a lot of water runs off this corner of the park, which benefits these next two moisture-living species)
9. Clay at Steiner Red alder (Alnus rubra), Alaska to Santa Barbara; a San Francisco native!
10. Steiner at Clay Sourgum or tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), Eastern North America
Steiner Street, Clay to Washington, east side
11. 2302 Steiner Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana), Southern Brazil (usually a shrub, sometimes becoming a tree; notable for its intense purple flowers; this plant loves San Francisco conditions!)
Turn right (east) on Washington. Washington Street, Steiner to Fillmore, north side
12. 2400 Steiner New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (tree is on Washington). In the City’s 2017 tree census, this tree was identified as the 2nd most common tree in San Francisco.
13. 2566 Washington Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Eastern USA to Mexico and Central America
14. 2560 Washington Springfire metrosideros (Metrosideros collina ‘Springfire’), French Polynesia and Cook Islands (this is the only one we know of in San Francisco)
Turn left on Fillmore. Fillmore Street, Washington to Jackson, west side
Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii)
15. 2401 Fillmore Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa), South and southeast Asia to Australia (an uncommon form of this species; note the small pinkish fruits)
16. 2411 Fillmore Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan
Fillmore Street, Jackson to Pacific, west side
17. 2529 Fillmore Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii), East Asia. One of the biggest of this species in San Francisco.
Turn right (east) on Pacific. Pacific Avenue, Fillmore to Webster, south side
18. 2351 Pacific Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile
19. 2351 Pacific Olives (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin
8 London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia) have been “pleached” at 2301 Pacific
20. 2301 Pacific London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (these 8 trees, wrapping around the corner onto Webster, have been pleached; google it to see what that’s all about. An amazing sight!)
**Turn left and head north on Webster to Broadway, passing the Italian Consulate at 2590 Webster**
Broadway, Webster to Buchanan, north side
21. 2190 Broadway Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeast USA (a particularly fine specimen next to the corner of the building; 2 more trees to the right, and many in the neighborhood)
London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia)
22. 2120 Broadway London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (these trees, in front of Hamlin School, have been pollarded, meaning that they have been repetitively cut, year after year, at a particular point to cause the tree to generate a knobby end - google “pollard” for more info)
**Turn left and head north (downhill) on Buchanan**
Buchanan Street, Broadway to Vallejo, east side
23. 2760 Buchanan Saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana), hybrid of East Asian species
**Turn right and head east on Vallejo**
Vallejo Street, Buchanan to Laguna, north side
24. 2090 Vallejo Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’), a variety of a Eurasian species (6 trees on Buchanan)
25. 2090 Vallejo Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay
Vallejo Street, Laguna to Octavia, north side
26. 2699 Laguna Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (a fine specimen is across the street, but many can be found throughout the neighborhood; first introduced in San Francisco - the interesting San Francisco story can be found here)
27. 1900 Vallejo Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia
Vallejo Street, Octavia to Gough, north side
28. 1868 Vallejo Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia (2 trees flank the entry walk; the crushed leaves smell of lemon)
Vallejo Street, east of Gough, north side
Northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta) - San Francisco’s largest example of this species
29. 1772-1790 Vallejo Northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta), New Zealand (very rare in San Francisco; this is a “City Champion” - the biggest of its kind in the City!) This tree was nominated to be an official “landmark tree” by the City, but the nomination failed in a 3-2 vote at the City’s Urban Forestry Council.
30. 1772 Vallejo Tītoki tree (Alectryon excelsus), New Zealand (a “City Champion”: the biggest of its kind in San Francisco)
**Return to Gough and turn left to head uphill/south**
Gough Street, Vallejo to Broadway, east side
31. 2424 Gough London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (these trees were pollarded early in their lives, but have since been allowed to take a more natural shape)
32. 2424 Gough Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japan, China, Korea
**Note the Greek Consulate at 2441 Gough; then turn right and head west on Broadway to Octavia**
Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis)
Octavia Street, Broadway to Pacific, west side
33. 2415 Octavia Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), Eastern Australia
34. 2401 Octavia Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain
**Continue south/uphill on Octavia Street**
Octavia Street, Jackson to Washington, east side
34-B 2280 Octavia California bay (Umbellularia californica), Oregon and California, (inside the lower curved wall within the median). This is a San Francisco native tree - very rare to see it as a street tree but it’s doing well in his Octavia Street median.
35. 2280 Octavia. Avocado tree (Persea americana), Mexico and Central America (inside the upper curved wall within the median)
Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) hedge at the Spreckels Mansion
36. 2280 Octavia Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA, native (sheared into a spectacular hedge around the old Spreckels Mansion, now owned by author Danielle Steel)
Turn right on Washington. Washington Street, Octavia to Laguna, south side
37. Lafayette Park Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (the young ginkgoes along Washington have been badly affected by the persistent west winds on this hill)
Turn left on Laguna. Laguna Street, Washington to Sacramento, east side
38. Lafayette Park Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA, native (2 trees flanking the Clay Street entrance to Lafayette Park)
39. Lafayette Park She-oak (Casuarina sp.), Eastern Australia
40. Lafayette Park Willow (Salix sp.), Eastern North America (near the southwest corner of the park)
Turn right on Sacramento. Sacramento Street, Laguna to Buchanan, south side
41. 2201 Sacramento Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia
42. 2241 Sacramento After Dark peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa ‘Jervis Bay Afterdark’), southwest Australian cultivar (2 young trees flanking the gate; often less vigorous than the green-leafed species)
Sacramento Street, Buchanan to Webster, south side
43. 2323 Sacramento Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum), Eastern Australia
44. 2323 Sacramento Brush cherry (Syzygium australe, formerly S. paniculatum), Eastern Australia
**Continue on Sacramento to Fillmore, then turn left and head south on Fillmore (lined with Indian laurel figs and evergreen pears) to California; then turn right on California**
California Street, Fillmore to Steiner, south side
45. 2435 California (Mollie Stone’s) Hedge maple (Acer campestre), Eurasia and North Africa (this is the largest hedge maple that we know of in San Francisco)
46. Parking lot across the street Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis), Canary Islands (the tall narrow pines at east and west ends of the parking lot)
California Street, Steiner to Pierce, south side
47. 2501 California Trident maple (Acer buergerianum), East Asia (several colorful street trees on both sides of the gas station)
Continue west on California to Scott, then north on Scott to Sacramento; the tour begins on Sacramento just east of Scott.
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!
Noe Valley (north) "Social-Distancing" Tree Tour 11-22-20
We return to Noe Valley for another tour exploring the arboreal richness of this neighborhood - but this time, the northern half of the neighborhood. For this tour, we start out at The Animal Company, in its new headquarters at 24th and Castro streets, and remain north of 24th Street, between Douglass and Vicksburg streets.
Today’s walk begins with an exceptional specimen on Castro Street, just north of 24th Street. The walk continues uphill, heads west on Elizabeth Street to Douglass Street, then north on Douglass to 23rd Street, and east on 23rd all the way to Vicksburg Street. At Vicksburg, the walk heads south to 24th Street, and then returns to its start at 24th and Castro, with a quick jog north on Noe for a special tree. This walk is roughly two miles long
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 59. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum) - biggest one in San Francisco!
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.
Castro Street, 24th to Elizabeth, west side
1. 1230 Castro Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum), Eastern Australia. This is a “City Champion” - the biggest of its species in San Francisco!
Turn left on Elizabeth Street. Elizabeth Street, Castro to Diamond, south side
2. 605 Elizabeth Washington thorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) Eastern USA
berries of Washington thorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum)
3. 639 Elizabeth Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), Eastern & southeast Australia
4. 662 Elizabeth Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), East Asia (2 trees across the street)
5. 665 Elizabeth Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), Southern China
6. 665 Elizabeth New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (a row of 11 tightly pruned trees alongside St Philip Catholic Church)
Elizabeth Street, Diamond to Douglass, south side
7. 700 Diamond Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru, Chile (the tree is on Elizabeth Street)
Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)
8. 709 Elizabeth Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), East Asia
9. 719 Elizabeth Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China (the furry trunks of this very nice specimen are characteristic of this palm)
10. 761 Elizabeth Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japan, China, Korea
11. 795 Elizabeth Myoporum or ngaio in Māori (Myoporum laetum), New Zealand (this species is dying all over San Francisco, due to an insect pest called thrips)
Noe Valley Courts
12. southwest corner of Douglass and Elizabeth Silk oak (Grevillea robusta), Eastern Australia (a row of 5 trees along the edge of the park)
Turn right on Douglass. Douglass Street, Elizabeth to 23rd, west side
13. 716 Douglass Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China
14. 708 Douglass White champaca (Magnolia x alba), a hybrid of southeast Asian species (watch for the fragrant white flowers tucked within the foliage)
15. 706 Douglas Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), Argentina, Bolivia
Shoestring acacia (Acacia stenophylla)
Turn right on 23rd. 23rd Street, Douglass to Eureka, north side
16. 697 Douglass Shoestring acacia (Acacia stenophylla), Australia (4 trees on 23rd). This is a very rare tree for San Francisco’s streets, although it is the tree planted in the median of Guerrero from 16th to 24th Streets.
17. 697 Douglass Tahitian lime (Citrus X latifolia), horticultural form of southeast Asian species (tree is in rear yard on 23rd; also a Mandarin orange (Citrus x tangerina; tree is to the right of the lime)
18. 4250 - 23rd Lemonwood, or tarata in Māori (Pittosporum eugenioides), New Zealand
19. 4250 - 23rd Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay
23rd Street, Eureka to Diamond, north side
20. 4232 - 23rd Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan
21. 4228 - 23rd Moonlight grevillea (Grevillea ‘Moonlight’), hybrid of Australian species
22. 4206 - 23rd Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea), Mexico & Central America
23rd Street, Diamond to Castro, north side, then south side
23. 4172 - 23rd Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California (a trio!)
**Cross 23rd carefully; there is a surprising amount of traffic on this street**
Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa)
24. 4179 - 23rd Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana), Lord Howe Island, Australia (tree is growing in a large box on the walkway below the sidewalk)
25. 4175 - 23rd Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), Southern China and Vietnam
26. 4173 - 23rd Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (2 trees; formerly SF’s most planted street tree)
27. 4148 - 23rd Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil ( 7 trees across the street, close to the house)
28. 4149 - 23rd Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia
close-up of a leaf - Silk oak (Grevillea robusta)
29. 4143 - 23rd Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Eastern USA to Mexico & Central America
30. 4131 - 23rd Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru, Chile
31. 4125 - 23rd Forest Pansy eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’), Eastern USA (come back in spring for its bright magenta flowers)
32. 4121 - 23rd Silk oak (Grevillea robusta), Eastern Australia (not remotely related to oaks)
33. 4107 - 23rd Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana), Eastern Australia
23rd Street, Castro to Noe, north side
Hercules tree aloe (Aloidendron ‘Hercules’)
34. 4082 - 23rd Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa), South & southeast Asia to Australia (an uncommon form of this species; note the pinkish fruits on the sunny side of the tree)
35. 4074 - 23rd London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species
36. 4062 - 23rd Purple potato bush (Lycianthes rantonnetii), Paraguay (typically a large shrub, this has been trained into a tree-like form; flowers all year)
37. 4052 - 23rd Hercules tree aloe (Aloidendron ‘Hercules’), hybrid of two South African species; the flowering shrub with it is an island mallow, Malva assurgentiflora; note the well-tended succulent garden against the house)
Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’)
38. 4042 - 23rd Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco - the interesting San Francisco story can be found here)
[39 not used]
40. 4038 - 23rd Marri (Corymbia calophylla), W Australia (looks like a white-flowered Corymbia ficifolia, #46, but this is a distinct species with white flowers and differently shaped fruits
41. 4024 - 23rd Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia (the crushed leaves smell of lemon)
42. 998 Noe Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil (tree is on Noe, just north of 23rd; one of SF’s best specimens)
Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)
23rd Street, Noe to Sanchez, north side
43. 3998 - 23rd Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), East Asia (6 trees create a tunnel-like effect here)
44. 3984 - 23rd Giant bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), South Africa (likely SF’s biggest)
**Cross 23rd carefully, to the south side of the street**
45. 3947 - 23rd Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), southwest Australia
46. 3945 - 23rd Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia
We loved this garage door on 23rd Street!
47. 3915 - 23rd Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeast Australia
23rd Street, Sanchez to Vicksburg, south side
48. 3883 - 23rd Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), Eastern & southeast Australia
49. 3879 - 23rd African fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), East & South Africa
Turn right at Vicksburg. Vicksburg Street, 23rd to 24th, west side
50. 102 Vicksburg Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Eastern Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild; hence, the common name; SF’s most commonly planted street tree)
51. 138 Vicksburg Snow-in-summer tree or flax-leaf paperbark (Melaleuca linariifolia), Eastern Australia (feel the spongy bark)
52. 138 Vicksburg Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), Iran
Cross 24th Street, and turn right on 24th. 24th Street, Vicksburg to Sanchez, south side
Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum) - the first tree ever planted by Friends of the Urban Forest in April 1981!
53. NW corner of Noe Valley Town Square Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), a California and even a San Francisco native!
54. 3885 - 24th Little Gem magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’), southeast USA
24th Street, Sanchez to Noe, south side
55. 3913 - 24th Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), Southern China (this is the very first tree planted by Friends of the Urban Forest, in April 1981; note the new location here of Ristorante Bacco, the editor’s favorite Italian restaurant)
56. 3917 - 24th Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis), Eastern Australia
57. 3953 - 24th Red maple (Acer rubrum), Florida to Canada to Texas
close-up of leaf: Red maple (Acer rubrum)
Jog up Noe to #1082, then backtrack. Noe Street, just north of 24th, west side
58. 1082 Noe Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeast USA (this specimen was planted on April 22, 2000, in celebration of Earth Day)
24th Street, Noe to Castro, south side
59. 4021 Noe Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), China & Vietnam (this species seldom does well in SF)
This tree walk ends at Castro and 24th streets, near its beginning at 1230 Castro, just north of 24th.
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!
NOPA “Social-Distancing” Tree Tour 11-14-20
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
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
Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis)
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’)
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.
Mayten (Maytenus boaria)
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!
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)
Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa)
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)
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)
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)
Dragon tree (Dracaena draco)
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
Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)
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
Red-leaf photinia (Photinia x fraseri)
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!
Cow Hollow "Social-Distancing" Tree Tour 11-8-20
Tour starting point - the now-abandoned Russian Consulate at 2790 Green Street
This week’s tree walk takes us to the adjoining neighborhoods of Cow Hollow and Pacific Heights, among the more affluent neighborhoods in the City. Elegant homes perch along tree-lined streets affording magnificent views north to the Bay. Generous budgets for landscape maintenance in this area often mean that trees are regularly pruned and shaped to preserve those views.
This walk begins next to the former Russian Consulate on outer Green Street (they were invited to leave a couple of years ago, and the building, still own by Russia, appears to be empty now). The walk heads east on Green to Broderick Street, north on Broderick to Union Street, west on Union to Baker Street. It then crosses Union and continues east on Union to Divisadero Street and uphill to Vallejo Street (in Pacific Heights). The walk heads west on Vallejo to Baker Street, and back downhill to the start at Green and Baker. This walk is about a mile long, and does include both uphill and downhill stretches.
Kentia palms (Howea forsteriana), with the Russian consulate in the background on the left
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 37. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
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.
Green Street, Baker to Broderick, north side
1. 2770 Green Kentia palms (Howea forsteriana), Lord Howe Island, Australia (a pair of trees in the sidewalk next to this beautifully tended garden, designed by Piotr Mazurek of Garden Fantasia)
2. 2750 Green Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara), Himalayas
3. 2722 Green Ray Hartman ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’), hybrid of CA native species
Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
4. 2700 Green Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), Southern China and Vietnam
5. 2700 Green New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (2 trees; this is the #2 most common tree in San Francisco, where it loves the climate; note the aerial roots)
Turn left on Broderick. Broderick Street, Green to Union, west side
6. 2745 Broderick Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Southeast USA (state tree of Mississippi)
Turn left on Union. Union Street, Broderick to Baker, south side
7. 2727 Union Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (4 trees)
8. 2749 Union Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla), Eastern Australia (note the aerial roots emerging from the trunk)
Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis)
9. 2759 Union Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), Southeast Australia
Cross the Street at Baker and backtrack on Union’s north side. Union Street, Baker to Broderick, north side
10. 2784 Union Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), Western Mediterranean Basin (northernmost natural range of any palm in the world)
11. 2728 Union Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (3 trees)
12. 2700 Union Red maple (Acer rubrum), Florida to Canada to Texas
Union Street, Broderick to Divisadero, north side
13. 2680 Union Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis), West and Central China (foliage is taking on autumn colors)
Olive (Olea europaea)
14. 2664 Union Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin (a magnificent specimen)
15. 2636 Union Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), East Asia (4 trees)
[16 not used]
17. 2616 Union Rusty-leafed fig (Ficus rubiginosa), Eastern Australia (another fig, Ficus pumila, is climbing on the walls below and behind these 5 trees)
18. 2600 Union Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South & Southeast Asia to Northern Australia (4 trees; a common, albeit problematic, street tree throughout San Francisco)
Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)
19. 2600 Union Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia (tree is on Divisadero; this tree loves San Francisco’s climate; the flowers on this specimen are orange)
Turn right/uphill at Divisidero. Divisadero Street, Union to Green, east side
20. 2740 Divisadero European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Europe (the tree is against the stairs, next to the utilities)
21. 2710 Divisadero Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China (these two trees have been “skinned”: the fuzzy leaf bases have been pruned off to reveal the ringed trunks; note this richly planted garden, also designed by Piotr Mazurek)
**Continue uphill one more block to Vallejo**
You’ll never see a more beautiful or densely planted sidewalk cut than under this Trachycarpus!
Turn right at Vallejo Street. Vallejo Street, Divisadero to Broderick, north side
22. 2898 Vallejo Eucryphia trees (Eucryphia x ‘Nymansay’), hybrid of Chilean species (2 trees flanking the front window; fragrant white flowers in August)
Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus)
23. 2730 Vallejo Akebono flowering cherry (Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’), Japan
24. 2732 Vallejo Hybrid date palm (Phoenix x, likely P. canariensis x roebelenii)
25. 2732 Vallejo Snowy River wattle (Acacia boormanii), Southeast Australia (uncommon in San Francisco; these trees create a curtain to shield the windows)
26. 2760 Vallejo Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Eastern Mediterranean Basin (seed pods can be used to make a chocolate substitute—though not recommended for true chocolate lovers)
27. 2760 Vallejo Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia
28. 2780-2782 Vallejo London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (these five trees, like many in the neighborhood, have been pollarded over the years, meaning repetitively cut at the same point to cause the branch to form a large, bulbous endpoint)
London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia) leaf
Vallejo Street, Broderick to Baker, north side
29. 2820 Vallejo Wisteria “tree” (Wisteria sinensis), China (typically a vine, this one has been pruned into a tree-like shrub)
Red horse chestnut (Aesculus x carnea)
30. 2828 Vallejo Red horse chestnut (Aesculus x carnea), hybrid of European and American species (4 trees; these are city champions - the biggest in San Francisco; they have spectacular red flowers when they bloom in May)
**The pink flowering vine on the fence in front of 2856 Vallejo is Mandevilla ‘Alice du Pont’**
Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
31. 2858 Vallejo Little Gem magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’), Southeast USA
32. 2880 Vallejo Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru, Chile
33. 2900 Vallejo Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Australia, Norfolk Island (tree is across the street, at the northwest corner of Vallejo and Baker; it’s rare to see this tree planted in the sidewalk)
Turn right/downhill at Baker Street. Baker Street, Vallejo to Green, east side
34. 2898 Vallejo Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (rows of this tree are on both sides of Baker, north of Vallejo)
35. 2536 Baker New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium), New Zealand (this species has two color forms in San Francisco - pink and deeper red; the tree is well adapted to San Francisco’s climate and soils)
New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium)
36. 2550 Baker European weeping birch (Betula pendula), Eurasia (not usually well-adapted to San Francisco)
37. 2552 Baker Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most planted tree, but rarely planted now)
This tree walk ends at the Russian Consulate at the northeast corner of Green and Baker, a few yards ahead.
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!
A red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia) in full flower in the Mission District
A Long Goodbye to San Francisco's Best Tree?
The red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia) is, in my opinion, San Francisco’s iconic tree. There’s no other tree that puts out such a show from July to October - massive inflorescences of red, orange, pink or white flowers that cover the entire crown of the tree. I still remember my brother Mark visiting from upstate New York a few years ago - as we passed a red gum in the Mission, he turned to me and said “Wow - what’s THAT tree”?! And the tree absolutely loves our cool coastal Mediterranean climate, very much like its home in southwestern Australia, near Perth. You won’t find many red gums in Walnut Creek or Concord, but they thrive in San Francisco.
18th Street near Dolores Park
Another reason to be patriotic about this tree in San Francisco: the largest red gum in the United States is in the St. Francis Wood neighborhood, at the corner of Monterey Boulevard and Junipero Serra Boulevard. In fact, most of Monterey Boulevard in St. Francis Wood is lined with towering red gums.
So it’s very sad that the City has stopped planting these magnificent trees - almost none have been planted in the last decade. Why? Because they have very wide trunks, and require a big sidewalk cut, meaning that there are fewer spots that are well suited for them than smaller trees. I suspect (now that the City is responsible for street tree maintenance) it may also have to do with the expense of maintaining these trees as they mature - red gums can get very big, and are more expensive to prune and maintain than smaller trees. I’ve noticed that the we’re seeing more and more maple trees on our streets (familiar to my brother Mark), but our urban forest is gradually losing some of the color that makes San Francisco special.
I believe in “right tree in the right place”, so red gums doesn’t belong everywhere. But there’s no reason to stop planting this amazing, beautiful, iconic, San Francisco-loving tree entirely. There are plenty of places in the City with enough room for Corymbia ficifolia. Let’s not give up on this this magnificent tree!
Because otherwise, it’s a long goodbye to our red flowering gums - we’ll see fewer and fewer each year, and our urban forest will look a little bit more like my brother Mark’s green (but a bit dull) upstate New York forest.
Monterey Boulevard median in St. Francis Wood
Bay Street at Fort Mason
Westwood Park “Social-Distancing” Tree Tour 11-1-20
Immediately west of San Francisco City College lies the quiet neighborhood of Westwood Park, where most of the bungalow-style homes date back to the 1920s. A surprisingly warm, picture-perfect autumn day welcomed us for our seventeenth tree tour, offering up some uncommon and interesting trees along the gently curving streets and in the many horticulturally rich front gardens—somewhat surprising since this can be a fairly foggy neighborhood.
This tree walk begins at the northwest corner of the intersection of Miramar Avenue and Ocean Avenue, the southern edge of Westwood Park. It heads north to Southwood Drive, east on Southwood and then north on Plymouth Avenue to Montecito Avenue, southwest on Montecito to Eastwood Drive, west on Eastwood to Miramar (“Main Street” of Westwood Park), and north on Miramar to Monterey Blvd. The tour then tucks briefly into Monterey Heights on Yerba Buena Avenue, returning to Monterey and heading west to Northgate Drive, then south on Northgate (into Mt Davidson Manor), west on Darien Way, southwest on Manor Drive, east on Kenwood Way, and back into Westwood Park on Faxon. It then heads south on Faxon to Wildwood, east on Wildwood, and finally south on Miramar to the beginning at Ocean. This walk is about two miles long.
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.
Miramar Avenue at Ocean, northwest corner
1. 1500 Ocean Red-flowering gum hybrid (Corymbia ficifolia hybrid?), Southwest Australia (the pendulous branches and red central leaf vein suggest that it is not a pure Corymbia ficifolia)
Miramar Avenue median at Southwood, north side of intersection
2. Median Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), Mediterranean Basin (source of pine nuts/pignoli)
Southwood Drive, Miramar to San Ramon, west side
3. 80 Southwood Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia (this tree loves SF’s climate)
4. 55 Southwood Bloodwood (Baloghia inophylla), Eastern Australia (quite possibly the only one of its kind in SF, outside of the Botanical Gardens)
5. 44 Southwood Japanese blueberry tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens), Eastern Asia
6. 32 Southwood Grapefruit tree (Citrus x paradisi), hybrid of Southeast Asian species
7. 101 San Ramon Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), Argentina, Bolivia (who would think it survive this far west in SF; perhaps another sign of a warming climate)
8. 101 San Ramon Edible fig tree (Ficus carica), Mediterranean Basin & Middle East (this young specimen has deeply lobed leaves)
Plymouth Avenue, San Ramon to Wildwood, west side
9. 1315 Plymouth Silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum), Cape Town, South Africa
Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’)
10. 1315 Plymouth Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia x candida ‘Double White’), Andes Mountains of South America
Plymouth Avenue, Wildwood to Montecito, west side
11. 1401 Plymouth Cork oak (Quercus suber), Spain & Portugal (the bark of this tree provides the cork used in wine bottles)
12. 1405 Plymouth Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco - the interesting San Francisco story can be found here)
12B. 1422 Plymouth Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’), South China & Japan to Southeast Asia
Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina)
13. 401 Montecito Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Eastern Australia (it grows in streamside locations in the wild; hence, the common name; SF’s most commonly planted street tree)
14. 401 Montecito Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), Chile (stiff, sharply pointed are said to prohibit monkeys, or anything else, from climbing the trees)
**Turn left on Montecito Avenue and right on Eastwood Drive**
Eastwood Drive, Montecito to Miramar, northeast side
15. 176 Eastwood Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris), New Caledonia
Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Monterey to Southwest Oregon; CA coastal native (tallest tree species in the world)
Lemon (Citrus x limon) South Asia
16. 690 Miramar Pindo palm (Butia odorata), Southern Brazil & Uruguay
Miramar Avenue, Eastwood to Northwood, east side
17. 730 Miramar Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea), Central America
Miramar Avenue, Northwood to Monterey, east side
18. 800 Miramar Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), East Asia
***Cross Monterey carefully at the crosswalk (traffic does not have a stop sign), then climb the stairs and cross the other half of Monterey at the crosswalk***
Yerba Buena Avenue, north of Monterey, east side
19. 990 Monterey Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California native! (one of the few trees native to San Francisco)
Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’)
20. 481 Yerba Buena New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (2 trees; widely planted in SF, where it loves the climate)
21. 461 Yerba Buena Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin
21B. 431 Yerba Buena Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’), Morocco & Algeria
**Cross Yerba Buena Avenue carefully***
Yerba Buena Avenue, north of Monterey, west side
22. 422 Yerba Buena African linden (Sparmannia africana), South Africa
23. 460 Yerba Buena Chilean palm (Jubaea chilensis), Chile (one of SF’s finest specimens)
24. 460 Yerba Buena Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, CA native, most widely planted coniferous tree in the world (mostly for lumber; this is a particularly fine specimen, standing tall behind the palm)
Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), Southwest Oregon & Northwest California (this is the weeping tree next to the stairs)
Monterey Blvd, Yerba Buena to St. Elmo, north side
25. 1010 Monterey Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Australia, Norfolk Island (it’s the tall “Christmas tree” in the rear yards of houses across the street, and on the horizon)
26. 195 St. Elmo Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (big, white fragrant flowers appear in winter)
St. Elmo Way at Monterey, northwest corner
27. 196 St. Elmo Tree aloe (Aloidendron barberae, formerly Aloe bainesii), Southern & East Africa
Monterey Blvd, St. Elmo to El Verano, north side
28. 1100 Monterey King palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), East Australia (4 trees)
**Cross Monterey Blvd at the crosswalk onto Northgate Drive**
Northgate Drive at Darien, northeast corner
29. 100 Northgate Pindo palm (Butia odorata), Southern Brazil & Uruguay (SF’s champion specimen)
Darien Way, west of Northgate, north side, then south side
30. 855 Darien Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), Europe & W Asia
31. 855 Darien Polylepis sp., Andes Mountains of South America (highest altitude tree genus in the New World)
***Cross Darien carefully to the south side***
32. 870 Darien Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), East Asia
33. 240 Manor English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Western Europe & North Africa
33B. 240 Manor Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil
[34 not used]
Manor Drive, Darien to Upland, east side
35. 240 Manor Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain
Manor Drive, Upland to Kenwood, east side
36. 165 Manor Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain (2 fairly young trees across the street; they are just beginning to develop their trunks)
37. 120 Manor European weeping birch (Betula pendula), Eurasia (not usually well-adapted to SF)
38. 120 Manor Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia
Kenwood Way, Manor to Keystone, south side
39. 95 Keystone Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), Western Mediterranean Basin
***Cross Kenwood carefully***
Kenwood Way, Keystone to Upland, north side
40. 160 Kenwood Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Mediterranean Basin & Ireland
41. 156 Kenwood Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Eastern Australia (feel the spongy bark)
42. 130 Kenwood Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia (the crushed leaves smell of lemon)
Darien Way, north of Kenwood, east side
43. 965 Darien Dark Shadows tea tree (Leptospermum ‘Dark Shadows’), Australia (2 trees)
44. 971 Darien Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand
**Return to Kenwood Way and head east a short block to Faxon Avenue and head south on Faxon**
Faxon Avenue, Kenwood to Wildwood, west side
45. 849 Faxon African fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), Eastern & Southern Africa
46. 840 Faxon Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China
**Follow Wildwood Way east to Westwood Drive, and head south on Westwood**
Westwood Drive, Wildwood to Miramar, east side
47. 98 Westwood Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), China & Vietnam (this species seldom does well in SF, but these seem to be thriving)
48. 91 Westwood Trident maple (Acer buergerianum), East Asia (tree is across the street)
49. 66 Westwood Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia
50. 42 Westwood Ray Hartman ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’), hybrid of CA native species (note that this garden is planted almost exclusively with CA native plants)
51. 20 Westwood Torbay Dazzler cabbage tree (Cordyline australis ‘Torbay Dazzler’), New Zealand
Silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum)
52. 20 Westwood Silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum), Cape Town, South Africa
Miramar Avenue, Westwood to Ocean, west side
53. 447 Miramar Himalayan white birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii), Himalayas
54. 425 Miramar Silk oak (Grevillea robusta), Eastern Australia
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!
Glen Park "Social Distancing" #covidtreetour
Glen Park is one of the most charming and distinctive neighborhoods in San Francisco. Steep hills facing south, narrow winding streets, and jewelbox homes characterize the neighborhood—along with a good selection of trees. Combine that with a small but wonderful shopping district, and you’ve got a nearly perfect residential neighborhood.
This tree walk begins at Bird & Beckett Books, on Chenery Street—certainly one of the most popular independent bookstores in town. It then heads east on Chenery, north on Castro Street, northeast on Laidley Street for 2 ½ blocks, then back to Castro. It continues north on Castro for another block to Sussex Street, northwest and west on Sussex to Swiss Avenue, south on Swiss to Surrey Street, west on Surrey a few yards to Chenery, and finally east on Chenery back to Diamond Street, a short block from the start at Bird & Beckett. This walk is a little under two miles long.
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 56. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.
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.
Our thanks to Kay Estey and readers of her garden column in the Glen Park News for suggestions of trees in the neighborhood to include on this walk.
Chenery Street, Diamond to Castro, south side
Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis)
1. 655 Chenery Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Monterey to Southwest Oregon; CA coastal native (tallest tree species in the world)
2. 600 block of Chenery Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South Asia (row of trees across the street; a common, albeit problematic, street tree throughout SF)
3. 641 Chenery Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain (planted in 1989 as tiny tree)
4. 3110 Castro African fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), East & Southern Africa (row of 3 trees on Chenery)
Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum)
Castro Street, Chenery to Laidley, west side
5. 3110 Castro Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Eastern USA to Mexico & Central America
6. 3102 Castro Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), South China
***Cross Castro carefully to Laidley Street***
Laidley Street, Castro to Roanoke, southeast side
7. 577 Laidley Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco, where it is increasingly common - the interesting San Francisco story can be found here)
8. 535 Laidley Myoporum or ngaio in Māori (Myoporum laetum), New Zealand (these trees are dying all over San Francisco, due to an insect pest called thrips)
Myoporum or ngaio in Māori (Myoporum laetum); this tree shows the effects of thrip infestation that is affecting the species everywhere in San Francisco.
9. 533 Laidley After Dark peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa ‘Jervis Bay Afterdark’), Southwest Australian cultivar (often less vigorous than the green-leafed species)
10. 521 Laidley Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Southeast USA (state tree of Mississippi)
11. 100 Roanoke Eureka lemon (Citrus limon), hybrid from South Asia (hanging over the back fence on Laidley)
Laidley Street, Roanoke to Mateo, southeast side
12. 447 Laidley Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), East Australia (usually a tree, here it has been pruned to remain a shrub)
13. 100 Mateo Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), East Australia (tree is on Laidley; it grows in streamside locations in the wild; hence, the common name; SF’s most commonly planted street tree)
Laidley Street, northeast of Mateo, southeast side
Kentia palms (Howea forsteriana)
14. 371 Laidley Kentia palms (Howea forsteriana) in the front garden next to the house, Lord Howe Island, Australia; also queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) from Southern Brazil, in the sidewalk cuts at this address
15. 347-353 Laidley Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (row of 3 trees)
***Cross Laidley carefully***
Laidley Street, northeast of Mateo, northwest side
16. 380 Laidley Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil - a particularly nice specimen!
17. 376 Laidley Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), East Australia (feel the spongy bark)
18. 48 Mateo Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), Brazil (tree is on Laidley)
London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia); showing the effect of repetitive “pollarding”, which creates knobby branch endings
Laidley Street, Mateo to Roanoke, northwest side
19. 456 Laidley Carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides), East Australia
Roanoke Street, northwest of Laidley
20. 486 Laidley Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), CA native; Oregon to Baja (the tree is on Roanoke; the wood was used in construction and for making pencils)
21. Full block of Roanoke London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (these trees, on both sides of the street, have been pollarded in the past (pollarding means the repeated removal of the upper branches of a tree, which promotes the growth of a dense head of foliage and branches)
Laidley Street, Roanoke to Castro, northwest side
New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’)
22. 554 Laidley New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’), New Zealand
23. 556 Laidley Locust (Robinia x ambigua ‘Idahoensis’), hybrid of North American species (fragrant pink flowers in early summer)
24. 3045 Castro Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia (2 trees are on Laidley)
Castro Street, Laidley to Sussex, west side
25. 3068 Castro Red alder (Alnus rubra), CA to Alaska; a rare SF native! (tree is in the side yard, above the fence)
26. 3006 Castro Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan
**Take a short side excursion to 283 Bemis Street (southeast side) for a Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), Western Mediterranean Basin
Sussex Street, Castro to Diamond, southwest side
Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea) on the left; Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’) on the right
27. 1 Sussex Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), East Australia (white flowers, very fragrant)
28. 11 Sussex Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica), East Asia (though usually grown as a shrub for its beautiful late winter/spring flowers, Japanese camellia is actually a small tree)
29. 15 Sussex Ray Hartman ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’), hybrid of CA native species
30. 41 Sussex River wattle (Acacia cognata), Southeast Australia
Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa)
31. 53 Sussex Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea), Central America
32. 53 Sussex Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’), South China & Japan to Southeast Asia
33. 62 Sussex Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis), East Australia (across the street)
Sussex Street, Diamond to Van Buren, southeast side
34. 2600 Diamond Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia (tree is on Sussex; this tree loves SF’s climate)
35. 155 Sussex Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA native
**The steep alley to the left of the fence is Ohlone Way, named for the Native Californians who once occupied much of the San Francisco Bay Area (and one of San Francisco’s few remaining unpaved streets).
Ohlone Way, one of San Francisco’s few remaining unpaved streets
Van Buren Street, Sussex to Surrey
36. Both sides of Van Buren Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), East Australia (the crushed leaves smell of lemon)
Sussex Street, Van Buren to Swiss Avenue, south side
Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius)
37. 167 Sussex Fern-leaf Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), CA’s Channel Islands, except Catalina; CA native (a particularly fine specimen)
**For another side excursion, head uphill on Conrad Street a short distance to Poppy Lane and turn right into this unpaved alley; about fifty yards down on the left is a giant specimen of California buckeye (Aesculus californica). This stunning tree might well be older than the homes that surround it.
38. 201 Sussex Hybrid tea tree (Leptospermum ‘Dark Shadows’), Australia
39. 201 Sussex Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (one of SF’s finest speciments; first introduced in San Francisco - the interesting San Francisco story can be found here)
40. 205 Sussex New Zealand cabbage tree (Cordyline hybrid), New Zealand
41. 261 Sussex Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), East Asia
42. 291 Sussex Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia & South Pacific Islands
Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis)
**Another side excursion to 333 Sussex (southwest side) will bring you to a Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis), from Guadalupe Island, Baja California
Swiss Avenue, Sussex to Surrey, west side
43. 116 Swiss Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Mediterranean Basin & Ireland
44. 120 Swiss Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana), Southern Brazil (usually a shrub, sometimes becoming a tree; notable for its intense purple flowers; loves San Francisco!)
45. 140 Swiss Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’), Eurasia (a selection of purple-leaf plum from a Bakersfield nursery)
46. 146 Swiss New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (widely planted in SF, where it loves the climate)
Surrey Street, Swiss to Chenery, north side
Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis)
47. 360 Surrey Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis), East Australia (peer through the cracks in the fence to see this rare tree at the very corner of the garden; google it to read the intriguing story of the tree’s discovery in the mid-1990s)
**The home at 370 Surrey belongs to Zoeanne Nordstrom, one of the three “Gum Tree Girls” who fought hard to prevent a freeway from being built through nearby Glen Canyon Park.
48. 398 Surrey Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis), Canary Islands
Chenery Street, Surrey to Burnside, south side
49. 959 Chenery Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru, Chile
Chenery Street, Burnside to Chilton, south side
Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia)
50. 925 Chenery Coffee tree (Coffea arabica), Eastern Africa & Yemen (tree is in the entry court of St John’s Catholic School; coffee trees are seldom seen outdoors in SF)
51. 907 Chenery Flowering gum (Corymbia hybrid), Southwest Australia
52. 864 Chenery Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin (across the street)
53. 828 Chenery Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia (a softly colored specimen across the street)
Chenery Street, Chilton to Diamond, south side
54. 775 Chenery Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), East Australia (white flowers, very fragrant)
55. 757-763 Chenery New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (widely planted in SF, where it loves the climate)
56. 751 Chenery Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand
End of tour at Chenery and Diamond, a half-block from the start at Bird & Beckett Books.
Tree fans may wish to visit the Glen Park Greenway, which parallels Bosworth Street on its north side, to see the new plantings of coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) and other, mostly native, trees and shrubs. The Greenway runs from Diamond to Elk Street, where it meets the bottom end of Glen Canyon Park. The Greenway is a volunteer-run project.
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!