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’) — 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

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’) — 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

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!