Sutro Heights Tree Tour (11-13-22)

 

 

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

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

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

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

 48th Avenue, Geary to Anza, east side

Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta)

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

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

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

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

Please don’t do this!

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

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

 Anza Street, 48th to 47th, north side

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

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

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

Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis)

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

 Anza Street, 47th to 46th, north side

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Anza Street at 46th, south side

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

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

 46th Avenue, Anza to Sutro Heights, west side

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

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

New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa)

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

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

 46th Avenue, Sutro Heights to Balboa, west side

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

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

Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonia)

 Balboa Street, 46th to 47th, north side

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

Dragon tree (Dracaena draco)

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

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

 47th Avenue, Balboa to Sutro Heights, west side

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

Giant bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia nicolai)

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

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

 47th Avenue at Sutro Heights, northwest corner

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

 48th Avenue at Sutro Heights, west side

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

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

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

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

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

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

Red Flowering Gum Trees get some Attention!

1900 Monterey in St. Francis Wood

SOMA

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

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

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

Bay Street, adjacent to Fort Mason

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

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

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

18th Street near Dolores



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

Trees of Provincetown

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

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

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

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

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

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

American elm (Ulmus americana) at 46 Commercial Street


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

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

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

horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) at 240 Commercial Street

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

northern catalpa tree (Catalpa speciosa) at 558 Commercial Street

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

Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) across from 5 Court Street

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

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

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

deciduous pear tree (Pyrus calleryana) outside Spiritus Pizza

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

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

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

sugar maple (Acer saccharum) across from 11 Race Road

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

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

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

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

Reiter Garden Tour 5-29-22

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

fan aloes, agaves and California poppies

Echium pininana (giant bugloss)

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

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

Pachystegia insignis (Marlborough Rock Daisy) from New Zealand


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 **Cross the paved “stage”**

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

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

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

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

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

Trees of Sicily

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

a couple date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) in Palermo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

an olive orchard in western Siciliy, near Segeste

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

close up of silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa)

Ingleside Terraces Tree Tour (2-6-22)

 

 

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

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

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

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

 Entrada Court, Sundial Circle to Borica, south side

Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa)

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

 **Cross Entrada carefully**

 Entrada Court, northeast to Borica, north side

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

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

New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa)

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

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

Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa)

 Borica Street, Entrada to Urbano, west side

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

 Urbano Drive, Borica to Moncada, north side

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

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

 Moncada Way, Urbano to Cerritos, west side

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

 Cerritos Avenue, Moncada to Mercedes, north side

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

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

Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa),

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

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

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

Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lactea)

 Mercedes Way, Cerritos to Cedro, north side

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

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

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

 Lunado Way, Mercedes to Lunado Court, east side

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

 Lunado Court, east of Lunado Way

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

Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)

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

 Lunado Way, south of Lunado Court, east side

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

Fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior)

 **Cross Lunado Way carefully**

 Lunado Way, south to Estero, west side

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

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

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

English holly (Ilex aquifolium)

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

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

Pasopaya palm (Parajubaea torallyi)

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

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

 Lunado Way and Estero, northeast corner

New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’)

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

 Lunado Way, Estero to Holloway, west side

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

Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)

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

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

Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’)

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

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

Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’)

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

Monterey pine (Pinus radiata)

 Beverly Street, south of Holloway

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

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

 Holloway Avenue, Lunado to Monticello, south side

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

Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta)

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

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

 Alviso Street, Holloway to Estero, west side

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

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

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

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

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

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

 ** Cross Alviso carefully**

 Alviso Street, Holloway to Urbano, east side

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

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

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

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

 Urbano Drive, west of Alviso, south side

London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica)

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

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

 **Cross Urbano carefully**

 Urbano Drive, west of Alviso, north side

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

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

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

Mayten (Maytenus boaria)

 53. 445 Urbano           Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile       

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

 Entrada Court, west of Borica, south side

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

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

 This walk ends at the Sundial Circle on Entrada Court.

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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.

 Page Street, Divisadero to Broderick, north side

1. 1010 Page                Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile       

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

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

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

 Page Street, Broderick to Baker, north side

Spiral aloe (Aloe polyphylla)

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

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

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

 Page Street, Baker to Lyon, north side

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

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

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

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

 Page Street, Lyon to Central, north side

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

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

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

 Page Street, Central to Masonic, north side

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

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

 Page Street, Masonic to Ashbury, north side

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

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

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

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

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

 Page Street, Ashbury to Clayton, north side

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Page Street, Clayton to Cole, north side

Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’)

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

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

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

Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

 Page Street, Cole to Shrader, north side

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

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

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

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

Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)

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

 Page Street, Shrader to Stanyan, north side

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

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

 Page Street, Stanyan to Shrader, south side

Fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior)

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

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

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

 Page Street, Shrader to Cole, south side

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

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

 Page Street, Cole to Clayton, south side

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

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

 Page Street, Clayton to Ashbury, south side

Australian tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum)

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

 Page Street, Ashbury to Masonic, south side

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

  Page Street, Masonic to Central, south side

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

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

 Page Street, Central to Lyon, south side

Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina)

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

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

 Page Street, Lyon to Baker, south side

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

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

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

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

a London plane leaf imprint in the Page Street sidewalk!

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

 Page Street, Broderick to Divisadero, south side

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

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

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

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

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!

Visitacion Valley Tree Tour (1-22-22)

 

 

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

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

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.

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

 Leland Avenue, east of Peabody, south side

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

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

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

 Peabody Street, south of Leland, east side

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

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

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

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

 Leland Avenue, Peabody to Rutland, south side

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

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

 Leland Avenue and Rutland Street, SW corner

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

Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis)

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

trees frame the front entrance to the library)

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

 Leland Avenue at Peabody Street, north side

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

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

 Visitacion Valley Greenway, first block

Ruby Glow New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’)

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

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

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

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

Hackberry (Celtis species)

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

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

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

Visitacion Valley Greenway, second block

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arleta Avenue, west of VVG, north side

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

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

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

Visitacion Valley Greenway, third block

Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visitacion Valley Greenway, fourth block

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**Take the left path at the fork**

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

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

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

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!