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

January 30, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

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

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

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

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)

**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

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

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

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)

January 26, 2022 by Michael Sullivan

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.

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)

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

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)

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

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.

Inner Richmond/USF Tree Tour (12-19-21)

December 20, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

’Twas the week before Christmas… The tree geeks disregarded the bitter (for San Francisco) temperatures and met at one of the city’s most distinctive landmark trees: the large California buckeye at the corner of McAllister Street and Willard Street North. This tree could well predate the late 1800s house behind it.

Today’s walk begins at the buckeye and heads east to Parsons Street, then south on Parsons to Fulton Street, where it turns west back to Willard North. At Willard, it heads north to McAllister, west on McAllister, north on Arguello Blvd, west on Cabrillo Street, north on 2nd Avenue, east on Balboa Street, which becomes Turk Blvd when it crosses Arguello. It continues east on Turk to Willard North and then south on Willard to its beginning at McAllister. This walk is barely a mile and a half 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 29. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

McAllister Street, Willard to Parsons, north side

1. 2694 McAllister California buckeye (Aesculus californica ), California; a spectacular San Francisco native tree! This is one of the best-known individual trees in San Francisco. It is San Francisco’s largest specimen of California buckeye, and as of this writing is on its way to becoming an official landmark tree. It is one of only two trees in the City that are protected by a tree easement, in favor of Friends of the Urban Forest - the owner of the property may not cut down or harm the tree without the permission of FUF.

2. 2694 McAllister California bay (Umbellularia californica), Oregon and California (with outliers in WA and BC)

3. 2678 McAllister London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica), hybrid of eastern American and European species

*Note the boughs of western red cedar (Thuja occidentalis) in the garland around the door to this residence*

4. 2658 McAllister Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

5. 2644 McAllister Forest Pansy eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’), Eastern USA and northeast Mexico (come back in spring for its bright magenta flowers)

6. 2644 McAllister Princess tree (Tibouchina urvilleana), SE Brazil (usually a shrub, sometimes becoming a tree; notable for its intense purple flowers; loves San Francisco; note the diverse plantings in this organic garden)

Parsons Street, McAllister to Fulton, east side

7. 14 Parsons Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), E Asia (across the street; watch for the big pink flowers in April)

8. 2344 Fulton Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (tree is on Parsons; note the large and intensely fragrant white flowers)

Fulton Avenue at Willard North, north side

9. 2400 Fulton Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California & Sonora, Mexico (this row of palms is in front of the former home of the rock group, the Jefferson Airplane)

Willard North, Fulton to McAllister, west side

10. 2400 Fulton Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata), China, Korea, and Japan (2 trees on N. Willard; among the largest specimens in SF)

11. 335 N. Willard Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), E Australia

McAllister Street, Willard North to Arguello, south side

12. 2719 McAllister Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), S Asia (commonly planted throughout the city)

13. 2733 McAllister Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

Arguello Blvd, McAllister to Cabrillo, west side

14. 829 Arguello Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia (intensely fragrant flowers)

Cabrillo Street, Arguello to 2nd, north side

15. 795 Arguello Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), China, Taiwan, and Vietnam (3 trees on Cabrillo, recently planted by Friends of the Urban Forest)

16. 696 - 2nd Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolia), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay (tree is planted on Cabrillo, along with many others in this block of 2nd)

2nd Avenue, Cabrillo to Turk, east side

17. 696 - 2nd Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), E Australia (one of SF’s largest specimens)

18. 686 - 2nd Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), E Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild, hence the common name; SF’s most commonly planted street tree)

19. 660 - 2nd Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia (intensely fragrant flowers)

20. 644 - 2nd Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand

21. 620 - 2nd Santa Cruz Island ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), CA’s Channel Islands, except Catalina Island

22. 620 - 2nd Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia & S Pacific Islands

23. 612 - 2nd Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), SW Australia (also flowers in white, coral, and orange, like this one)

**Head east (right) on a mostly treeless block of Balboa Street; cross Arguello and continue on Turk Blvd**

Turk Blvd, Arguello to Willard North, south side

24. 3175 Turk Cook pine (Araucaria columnaris), New Caledonia (a twin-trunked specimen is just inside the wooden fence, to the right of this address; similar to Norfolk Island pine, but this narrower, denser species will have a pronounced lean or curve at its base)

25. 3175 Turk Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), E Australia (note the somewhat larger leaves on this cultivar, compared to the species at #18)

26. 3175 Turk Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), China, Korea, Japan, andVietnam

Willard North, Turk to Golden Gate, west side

27. 143 Willard Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’), Eurasia (a selection of purple-leaf plum from a Bakersfield nursery)

Willard North, Golden Gate to McAllister, east side

28. 232 Willard Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile

29. 256 Willard Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp.), Asia (we’re unsure of the species, but the leaves are larger than the typical hybrids found in SF gardens, and they are somewhat more leathery; most others in town have already dropped their leaves for the winter)

This tree walk ends at McAllister and Willard North, where it began.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Just released podcast: the three tree geeks and their #covidtreetours

December 05, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

Jennifer Jewell of Cultivating Place did a wonderful interview of Richard Turner, Jason Dewees and me, covering the #covidtreetours that the three of us have been doing in San Francisco neighborhoods since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Listening to the podcast reminds me of how much fun the three of us have had over the past 18 months, and why it’s been so rewarding to share in this unique way with so many San Franciscans. Click here to listen to the podcast!

Inner Sunset/Forest Hill Tree Tour 11-20-21

November 21, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

On a spectacular November day, the tree geeks met at JP Murphy Playground for a short walk around this meeting of the Inner Sunset and Forest Hill neighborhoods. With the rains of the past month, the trees, lawns, gardens, and, above all, lichens on the tree trunks are showing signs of recovery from the drought of the last couple of years. There’s no guarantee, of course, that rains will continue this winter, but, for the moment, we can rejoice in those early and heavy rains of October.

At the entrance to the Playground, the staff of San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department have posted some informational signs about the trees in the Playground. Our walk covers only a few of the trees along the street in front of the clubhouse, but we hope you’ll take a moment to read the postings about the park’s trees.

Today’s walk begins at the Playground on 9th Avenue, just north of Pacheco. It heads south on 9th to Pacheco, then east and south on Pacheco to Alton Avenue, west on Alton to 9th, and finally north on 9th to a fine tree opposite the Playground. This short walk is barely a mile in length with some gentle hills.

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).

9th Avenue, north of Pacheco, east side

1. 1960 - 9th Cabbage tree or tī koūka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (the tree is not as vigorous as we often see for this species in San Francisco, but the lichens covering the upper trunks are outstanding)

Hopseed tree (Dodonaea viscosa), native throughout tropical and subtropical parts of the world (most commonly seen in its purple-leafed form; this tree was a spontaneous seedling that has grown beautifully in this location)

2. 1960 - 9th European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Portugal, UK, Sweden to Greece and Bulgaria (watch in spring as the buds enlarge and the beautiful foliage develops on this deciduous tree)

3. 1960 - 9th Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), CA native: Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, plus Cedros and Guadalupe islands, Mexico (most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber)

Pacheco Street, 9th to 8th, north/northeast side

4. 494 Pacheco English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia and north Africa

5. 494 Pacheco Brush cherry (Syzygium australe, previously knows as S. paniculatum), east Australia

6. 460 Pacheco Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of 2 Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

7. 460 Pacheco Santa Cruz Island Ironwood (also known as fern-leaf Catalina ironwood) (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. aspleniifolius), California’s Channel Islands, except Catalina Island

*Note the well maintained garden at 460 Pacheco; thank you to the owners*

***Cross 8th Avenue carefully; cars from the right do not have to stop***

Pacheco Avenue, 8th to Alton, east side

8. 444 Pacheco Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), east Asia (note the slightly different branching habits and leaf characters of this cherry and the next one)

9. 444 Pacheco Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), east Asia (watch for the big pink flowers in April; note the graft union at about 5’ height; it was most likely grafted onto the root stock of a Prunus serrulata seedling)

10. 444 Pacheco Silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum), Cape Town, south Africa (2 trees against the house)

***Cross Pacheco carefully; cars from the left do not have to stop***

Alton Street, Pacheco to 9th, north side

11. 100 Alton Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), easterm USA to Mexico and Central America

12. 100 Alton Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Norfolk Island, Australia (other Norfolk Island pines may be seen on the horizon from this elevated vantage point)

13. 100 Alton Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (3 trees in the lawn, more along Alton)

14. 150 Alton Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) Mediterranean basin, Atlantic coast of France and Ireland (several trees in the front garden)

15. 150 Alton Raywood ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa ‘Raywood’), central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, southwest Asia (2 trees; a selected seedling found in a south Australia garden; note the rich array of lichens growing on the bark)

16. 150 Alton Golden Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Aurea’), Japan

9th Avenue at Alton, NE corner

17. 2020 - 9th Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), California native; Oregon to southern California to Baja (the wood was used in construction and for making pencils)

9th Avenue, Alton to Sotelo, east side

18. 2050 - 9th Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), east Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild, hence the common name; San Francisco’s most commonly planted street tree; these young trees are flowering heavily)

19. 2050 - 9th Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

***Cross 9th Avenue carefully***
9th Avenue, to Pacheco, west side

20. 2101 - 9th Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), east Australia (intensely fragrant flowers in winter and spring)

21. 2085 - 9th Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China (2 trees)

22. 2085 - 9th Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’), a cultivar of species native from Ireland and the Baltics to Morocco and Iran

23. 2031 - 9th Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum), east Australia (smell the flowers)

[#24 not used]

25. 2015 - 9th Silver-leafed princess flower (Tibouchina heteromalla), Brazil

26. 495 Pacheco Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeast Australia (a row of trees across the street)

27. 2001 - 9th Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California and Sonora, Mexico (4 trees)

28. 2001 - 9th Pindo palm (Butia odorata), southeast Brazil and Uruguay

9th Avenue, north of Pacheco, west side

29. 1955 - 9th Little-leaf linden (Tilia cordata), Eurasia (city champion; San Francisco’s biggest specimen of this tree)

This tree walks ends here, across the street from its beginning at the JP Murphy Playground.

Lower Pacific Heights (plus) Tree Tour (11-6-21)

November 07, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

Today’s tour is of Lower Pacific Heights, just south of our Pacific Heights tour of roughly a year ago. Our walk included the brutalist architecture of the old California Pacific Medical Center, but we also ventured into Pacific Heights proper, to the border of Lafayette Park, one of the city’s loveliest. Along the way, we discovered some exceptional specimens of trees that are particularly happy in San Francisco.

Today’s walk begins at the northwest corner of Bush and Buchanan streets and heads uphill (north) on Buchanan. At Pine Street, it leads west to Webster Street, north on Webster to Washington Street, east on Washington to Buchanan, south on Buchanan to Clay Street, east on Clay to Laguna, south on Laguna to Sacramento Street, west on Sacramento to Buchanan and finally south on Buchanan to its end at Buchanan and Pine, which is one block north of its beginning at Buchanan and Bush. This walk is almost one and a half miles in length and does include some modest hills.

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.

Buchanan Street, Bush to Pine, east side

San Francisco’s largest Japanese zelkova (*Zelkova* *serrata*)

1. 1908 Buchanan Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata), China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan (city champion; biggest in San Francisco!)

2. 1936 Buchanan Kōhūhū or black pittosporum (Pittosporum tenuifolium), New Zealand

3. 1954 Buchanan Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), East Asia

Pine Street, Buchanan to Webster, north side

4. 2128 Pine Giant yucca (Yucca gigantea), Central America (one of San Francisco’s largest; maybe a city champion)

5. 2152 Pine Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeast Australia (several others can be seen across the street at 2140 Pine)

Webster Street, Pine to California, east side

6. 1940 Webster Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (this is a great tree for San Francisco; we need more of them!)

7. 1940 Webster Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), native to Año Nuevo, Monterey and Cambria, CA; also Mexico’s Cedros and Guadalupe Islands (most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber; this specimen has been beautifully pruned over the years)

Webster Street, California to Sacramento, east side

8. 2040 Webster Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of 2 Mediterranean species (but first introduced in San Francisco)

Webster Street, Sacramento to Clay, west side

9. entire 2100 block Italian bay tree or Grecian laurel (Laurus nobilis), Mediterranean Basin

Webster Street, Clay to Washington, west side

10. 2217 Webster Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile

**Note the well-tended vertical garden across the street at 2230 Webster

11. 2235 Webster Rusty-leafed fig (Ficus rubiginosa), Eastern Australia (uncommon in San Francisco)

12. 2249 Webster Tree aloe (Aloidendron barberae, formerly Aloe bainesii), S & East Africa

***Cross Webster to the east side***

13. 2389 Washington Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia (tree is on Webster)

Washington Street, Webster to Buchanan, south side

14. 2389 Washington English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia & North Africa

15. 2355 Washington Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Japan (a particularly nice trio)

**Note that this particularly fine Victorian home, the Dallam Merritt House, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

16. 2325 Washington Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), East Asia (watch for the big pink flowers in April on these 6 trees)

Buchanan Street, Washington to Clay, east side

New Zealand Christmas tree (*Metrosideros excelsa*)

17. 2295 Washington New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (tree is on Buchanan; others are down the street)

18. 2308 Buchanan Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi), NE Australia

19. 2310 Buchanan Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Eastern North America (across the street, along the parking lot; this species is the tallest deciduous tree in North America)

Clay Street, Buchanan to Laguna, north side

20. 2226 Clay Fern-leaf Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), California’s Channel Islands except Santa Catalina Island

21. 2220 Clay Hachiya persimmon (Diospyros kaki ‘Hachiya’), East Asia (persimmons are very rare in San Francisco – this one may be a city champion on our streets: largest in San Francisco)

22. 2220 Clay Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (leaves are just beginning to turn color; these deciduous trees tend to drop their golden leaves all at one time, making cleanup easier)

23. 2218 Clay Ruby Glow New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’), New Zealand (tree is above the wall, with a few tiny red flowers; well adapted to San Francisco’s climate and soils)

24. 2214 Clay Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), S Asia (commonly planted throughout the neighborhood and the city)

Note the climbing fig (Ficus pumila) on wall along sidewalk; from East Asia.

25. 2210 Clay Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia

Laguna Street, Clay to Sacramento, west side

26. 2151 Laguna Little Gem magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’), southeast USA

Sacramento Street, Laguna to Buchanan

27. 2205 Sacramento Fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), East & South Africa (2 trees next to the building have been pruned extensively to allow more light into the rooms)

28. 2241 Sacramento Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Eastern Mediterranean Basin (several trees on both sides of the street; seed pods can be used to make a chocolate substitute—though not recommended for true chocolate lovers)

Buchanan Street, Sacramento to California, east side

29. 2189 California Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (several beautiful specimens on this block; usually flowers in summer, but many in the city are flowering now)

California Street, just east of Buchanan, north side

30. 2186 California Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), East Asia

**Return to Buchanan Street

Buchanan Street, California to Pine, east side

31. 2050 Buchanan White alder (Alnus rhombifolia), California native: Southern California to Pacific northwest (2 trees; generally found further from the coast; hence, not particularly happy in cool San Francisco)

32. 2018 Buchanan London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species (2 large and handsome trees)

This walk ends at Buchanan and Pine streets, one block north of its beginning at Buchanan and Bush streets.

NOPA West Tree Tour (10-31-21)

November 01, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

We return to the neighborhood north of the Panhandle (NOPA) for our first walk in several months. With Covid declining, the three tree geeks have been traveling to various parts of the country and the world—always studying the trees we come across. Our previous NOPA tour covered blocks east of Masonic Avenue, this tour covers “NOPA West”.

As we have often commented, the enthusiasm with which we are greeted by neighbors as we chalk out the tour is incredibly gratifying. On this particular Halloween Sunday, we were joined by NOPA residents Alex and Leah and their infant son Corwin for almost the full tour; all but Corwyn had lots of questions for us about San Francisco’s trees, and we were happy to answer them.

This decidedly flat neighborhood is filled with some of the city’s most frequently planted trees. We found a number of trees that were the biggest or best specimens in the city, and a few that are the only specimens of their kind in town.

An important part of the walk was along Fell Street, as it borders the northern edge of the Panhandle, where we pointed out a number of exceptional trees. The Panhandle was the first portion of Golden Gate Park to be planted with trees in the 1870s. While the western end of the Park was planted with dune grasses, wind-tolerant shrubs, and eventually trees that were intended to hold the sand and slow the winds, this eastern extension of the Park was more protected from the winds and could be planted with an array of trees that were then considered experimental. Among the trees that thrived are the giant blue gums (Eucalyptus globulus), from southeast Australia, and two native California conifers from the Carmel area: Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) and Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). Some of those oldest trees can still be seen in the Panhandle.

Alex, Leah and Corwin - our tree-curious NOPA guests for the tour!

We begin the walk at the southwest corner of Cole and Hayes streets, move down Cole to Fell Street, head west on Fell for one block to Shrader Street, and then turn north to Hayes. At Hayes, the walk heads east to Cole, then north on Cole to Grove Street, east on Grove to Clayton Street, south on Clayton to Hayes, east on Hayes to Ashbury Street, south on Ashbury to Fell, and back west on Fell to Cole. The tour ends at Cole and Fell, one block south of its beginning. This walk is about one and a half 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 28. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

Cole Street, Hayes to Fell, west side

1. 207 Cole Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

Gold medallion tree (*Cassia leptophylla*) - San Francisco’s biggest and best!

2. 227 Cole Gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla), Brazil (city champion: biggest and best specimen in San Francisco)

Fell Street, Cole to Shrader, north side and in the Panhandle

3. 2010 Fell California bay (Umbellularia californica), Oregon and CA (large tree across the street in the Panhandle; one of the largest in the city; long draping branches; crush a leaf to release the powerful odor)

4. 2030 Fell Queensland kauri (Agathis robusta), northeast Australia (this is the tall narrow tree in the lawn across the street in the Panhandle; uncommonly planted except in botanical collections; tallest specimen in the city outside of the SF Botanical Garden; three young ones have been added nearby in recent years)

5. 2040 Fell Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (one of the three most commonly planted trees in Golden Gate Park and the Panhandle)

6. 2058 Fell Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), southeastern Australia (one of the largest specimens in the city, possibly a City champion)

7. Fell at Shrader Italian alder (Alnus cordata), Italy and Corsica (several evergreen trees opposite the end of Shrader within the Panhandle; we think one is the largest in the city)

Shrader Street, Fell to Hayes, east side

Freeman maple (*Acer* x *freemanii*) (photo credit Leah Drake)

8. 2098 Fell Freeman maple (Acer x freemanii), hybrid of Acer rubrum and Acer saccharinum, both from eastern North America (tree is on Shrader)

9. 2098 Fell Asian dogwood (Cornus species), Asia (this may be one of the rarest trees in the city; it is similar to Cornus capitata, but has larger, more leathery leaves, and possibly the largest fruits of any dogwood). We were excited to find this one - see a website about this tree here.

10. Shrader, Fell to Hayes Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (a row of trees almost the full length of the block)

Hayes Street, Shrader to Cole, south side

11. 2185 Hayes New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (2 large trees and 1 smaller tree)

12. 2151 Hayes Australian willow or wilga (Geijera parviflora), east and southeast Australia (this tree prefers the warmth of the eastern parts of the city)

13. 2145 Hayes Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), east Asia (tree was grafted at shoulder height, hence the change in trunk diameter; watch for the big pink flowers in April)

Ginkgo (*Ginkgo biloba*) (photo credit Leah Drake)

14. 2125 Hayes Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (leaves are just beginning to turn gold; these deciduous trees tend to drop their golden leaves all at one time, making cleanup easier)

15. 2115 Hayes Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus X ‘Marina’), hybrid of 2 Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

Cole Street, Hayes to Grove, west side

16. 151 Cole Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), eastern Australia (intensely fragrant flowers in cyles throughout the year, peaking February-April)

Primrose tree (*Lagunaria patersonii*) (photo credit Leah Drake)

17. 143 Cole Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia and south Pacific Islands

18. 2111 Grove Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), eastern Australia (row of 3 trees, thoughtfully pruned to maintain a manageable size)

Grove Street, Cole to Clayton, south side

19. 2049 Grove Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (3 beautiful trees; usually flowers in summer, but many in the city are flowering now)

Silver dollar gum (*Eucalyptus polyanthemos*) (photo credit Leah Drake)

20. 2058 Grove Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), eastern Australia (this specimen has been carefully and effectively pruned to remain below the overhead utility cables, resulting in an unusual habit for this typically upright tree)

Clayton Street, Grove to Hayes, west side

21. 137 Clayton Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), south Asia (commonly planted throughout the neighborhood and the city)

Grove Street, Clayton to Ashbury, north side

22. 1980 Grove Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree; it often loses its leaves before summer’s end)

23. 1960 Grove Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), eastern North America (tallest deciduous tree in North America)

Ashbury Street, Grove to Hayes, east side

24. 230 Ashbury Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’), eastern Australia (one of the finest specimens in town of this purple-leafed form; yellow flowers early in the year)

25. 1790 Fell Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), east and southeast Australia (2 trees at the south end of Ashbury; sadly, the tree at the north end of the block was badly damaged in the recent powerful storm)

Fell Street, Ashbury to Clayton, north side

26. 1846 Fell Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), eastern Australia (the most common tree along the north side of Fell, alongside the Panhandle)

Fell Street, Clayton to Cole, north side

27. 1900 Fell Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to southwest Oregon; CA coastal native (2 trees across the street within the Panhandle; tallest tree species in the world)

Cole Street, just north of Fell, east side

28. 1994 Fell Allspice magnolia (Magnolia x ‘Allspice’), a hybrid of two Asian species; on warm days, the flowers release a delightful fragrance)

This walk ends at the corner of Fell and Cole, one block south of its beginning at Hayes and Cole.

This walking tour was organized by Mike Sullivan, author of The Trees of San Francisco (if you like this tour, there are 12 more neighborhood tree tours in Mike’s book), Jason Dewees, horticulturist at Flora Grubb Gardens and author of Designing with Palms; and Richard Turner, retired editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine and editor of Trees of Golden Gate Park. If you’re a tree enthusiast, buy all three books! You can follow Mike (@sftreeguy) and Jason (@loulufan) on Instagram.

Salesforce Park Tour - November 13!

October 01, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

Join me Saturday, November 13 from 10-11AM at Salesforce Park in San Francisco - I will be leading a tour of the amazing trees and plants in the park. Come see trees from California, Chile, South Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean - it's the best collection in the City outside of the San Francisco Botanical Garden! Free of charge - meet in the plaza in the center of the park (top of the Salesforce Transit Center - take the elevators to the 4th floor) at 10AM.

Yours truly with San Francisco’s largest cork oak (pointing out the spongy cork in the crevices of the bark). Cork oak is a tree that could handle warmer and drier times. (photo by Kristi Coale)

San Francisco Trees and Climate change

September 23, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

I was interviewed by Kristi Coale, journalist for The Frisc (a really wonderful independent online SF publication) about climate change’s current and likely future impact on San Francisco’s trees. We spent an hour walking around Cole Valley and talking about different trees and how they might adapt (or not) to a warmer and drier climate. The article just came out today - you can read it here!

row of red flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia) at 25 15th Avenue in the Richmond — row of red flowering gums (*Corymbia ficifolia*) at 25 15th Avenue in the Richmond

Red (and Orange) Flowering Gums

September 11, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

I had to find some way to get a 2021 post about my favorite San Francisco tree species, before its season was over. Today I happened to be in the Richmond near the Presidio border, and spotted this row of red flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia) at 25 15th Avenue. A little past their peak (they usually peak in late July), but cool to see red and orange-flowering specimens side by side!

America's biggest Japanese pagoda tree - in Martha's Vineyard??!

August 14, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

I spent a wonderful week in Martha’s Vineyard in late July. We were staying with a good friend who has a family place in Aquinnah on the western end of the island, but I knew I wanted to visit Edgartown, on the other side of the Vineyard. I love Edgartown for lots of reasons - it’s a quintessential New England whaling town full of 1820s white clapboard homes with green shutters, and 18th century Congregationalist churches. But I also knew that I wanted to make a pilgrimage to the oldest and largest Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) in the country! The tree was brought to the the United States from China as a seedling in 1837 by whaling captain Thomas Milton, to grace his new home then being built in Edgardtown, and has been growing on the island ever since.

Check out photos below - and then be sure to read my blog post about my visit to the the Arnold Arboretum next!

184 years after being planted by a whaling captain just back from China, America’s largest Japanese pagoda tree

A tree-hugger shot of me just for scale :)

The Arboretum’s largest dawn redwood, planted in 1948, with my sister Patricia for scale!

Arnold Arboretum Visit - our oldest dawn redwoods

August 14, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

I paid a visit in early August to the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the oldest and maybe the most prestigious arboretum in the country. The arboretum was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City, and the collections have a heavy emphasis on trees from North America and east Asia.

One of the Arnold’s big achievements was bringing the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) to the United States. Until the 1940s, the genus Metasequoia was known only from fossil records. Chinese botanists discovered living specimens of the tree in China during World War II, and after the war as the word got out, the discovery of this “living fossil” made international headlines. The Arnold Arboretum funded an expedition in 1948 to collect and bring back seeds of the tree, and the dawn redwoods planted at the Arboretum were the first to grow in North America in over two million years. Thousands of the tiny seeds of the tree were distributed to botanic gardens around the world (the San Francisco Botanical Garden got some, which is how we have a dawn redwood), but the oldest and largest of the species outside of China are now at the Arnold Arboretum.

A grove of North America’s oldest dawn redwoods, just inside the entrance to the Arboretum.

I could have spent three or four hours at the arboretum, but I was there with my sister and brother-in-law, so we kept things to a reasonable couple of hours. It was fantastic to see so many species from eastern North America - where I grew up but some of the species were unfamiliar to me since I haven’t lived there for 37 years.

White pine is one that I know well from my childhood - it’s one of those tree species I recognize in a nanosecond. And there was a gorgeous one at the Arnold!

A gorgeous white pine (Pinus strobus) - my sister is giving it a thumb’s down; she has one in her yard in Barneveld, New York and isn’t a fan of the tree. We agreed to disagree! — A gorgeous white pine (*Pinus strobus*) - my sister is giving it a thumb’s down; she has one in her yard in Barneveld, New York and isn’t a fan of the tree. We agreed to disagree!

A large tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). I think this is the largest one I’ve ever seen! — A large tree of heaven (*Ailanthus altissima*). I think this is the largest one I’ve ever seen!

Yellow New Zealand Christmas Tree at Peak Bloom

July 01, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

My favorite tree in San Francisco, as regular readers know, is the yellow-blooming New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros Excelsa ‘Aurea’) at 1221 Stanyan Street. The tree is at peak bloom right now, and it’s an amazing sight.

This tree is remarkable for lots of reasons, including its association with celebrated plantsman Victor Reiter and the Reiter family, and its source as a natural mutation of the species in New Zealand in the 1940s, all of which I’ve covered before (click here for more info). But it’s also just a great specimen - lovingly cared for over the years, and I don’t think there is any other New Zealand Christmas tree that blooms this profusely.

Go see it soon!

Cole Valley "Social Distancing" Tree Tour 6-12-21

June 12, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

Cole Valley is one of San Francisco’s best-treed neighborhoods. It has not only great street tree density on almost every block, but also lots of truly spectacular trees - ones that belong on any list of San Francisco’s best. I have a Cole Valley tree tour in my book, Trees of San Francisco, and a good part of the tour below is taken from the tour in my book. However, this online tour has a different and much bigger footprint - it expands further south (to Waller Street) and further west (to Parnassus Heights) than the Cole Valley tour in the book.

I’ve lived in Cole Valley since 1989 (for 10 years at 17th and Belvedere, since then on Woodland Avenue) so I’ve had a long time to observe our streets and our trees. The tour below incorporates the 32 years of neighborhood-observing that I’ve done as a Cole Valley resident.

I planned this tree months ago, covering 41 trees. As usual, this tree tour was a joint effort of a trio of tree geeks - Jason Dewees (author of Designing with Palms) and Richard Turner (retired editor of Pacific Horticulture) joined me for the walk. They discovered some interesting trees along the way to supplement my 41, so the trees that aren’t integers (1.5, 3.5, etc.) are the ones we added on the fly as we went .

* * * * * * * * * *

1. Corner of Parnassus and Cole Streets (Parnassus Street side). The tour starts at the Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum) in front of La Boulangerie, a Cole Valley favorite. I remember when the tree was planted in 1995, in front of what was then the iconic Tassajara Bakery. The flowers of this Australian tree are intensely fragrant; this is one of the largest sweetshade trees in the City, so unfortunately although the tree blooms most of the year, the flowers are far above nose-level.

Walk south on Cole Street to Grattan Street.

1.5. 1048 Cole Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay

Turn left on Grattan Street.

2. 24 Grattan Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Southeast USA.

At the corner of Belvedere, turn left.

3. 431 Belvedere Pindo palm (Butia odorata), Southern Brazil and Uruguay. This is a young tree (planted approximately 2010). Pindo palm are rare as a street trees in San Francisco, and this is the only one in the neighborhood. This tree is already demonstrating the characteristic blue-gray, graceful fronds of the species, which curve in toward the trunk.

3.5. 431 Belvedere Chocolate persimmon (Diospyros kaki ‘Maru’), northeast India to Southern China. It’s rare to see a persimmon tree on San Francisco streets - this tree was very recently planted, and I’ll be interested to watch it grow.

Cross Belvedere mid-block, and turn right to head south (uphill) on Belvedere.

4. 466-68 Belvedere Two Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia), East Asia. Of the 35 different species of elms, the Chinese elm is by far the most common in San Francisco, and the two at this address have been lovingly cared for by the owner. This species is noted for its beautiful bark, which comes off in puzzle-piece shapes. Just next door at 472 Belvedere is another elm - this one is a European elm (it’s incredibly hard to tell the various European elms apart, and I’m not enough of an expert to ID this one!).

Bark of a Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) at 466-68 Belvedere — Bark of a Chinese elm (*Ulmus parvifolia*) at 466-68 Belvedere

At Alma, cross to the west side of Belvedere, and continue uphill on Belvedere Street.

5. 515-517 Belvedere Cabbage palm (Cordyline australis), native to New Zealand. This tree looks like a palm, but it’s actually in the asparagus family of plants. There are several on Belvedere between Grattan and Rivoli.

6. Continue up Belvedere to 17th Street, and turn right (downhill). Before you do, look across 17th Street - the handsome residence across 17th Street at the corner is a converted church - formerly Saint Aidan’s Episcopal Church. The space was deconsecrated in the early 1960s, and was temporarily used by the Grateful Dead as a practice space until finally converted to a residence in the mid-1960s. It's now a beautiful 3-bedroom home with a loft-like giant room. And as you descend 17th, you’ll pass 4710 17th Street, where I lived from 1989-1998.

7. 4736 17th Cork oak (Quercus suber), Spain and Portugal. This is the largest cork oak in San Francisco (there’s a younger, smaller tree planted next door at 4746 17th). The bark of this tree provides the cork used in wine bottles - if you push your finger into the crevices of the bark, you’ll feel the spongy quality that is characteristic of the tree.

Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis) on the right; a red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia) showing a bit of its orange flowers on left — Canary Island pine (*Pinus* *canariensis*) on the right; a red flowering gum (*Corymbia ficifolia*) showing a bit of its orange flowers on left

8. 4810-12 17th Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis), Canary Islands. This is the very tall pine tree between the two buildings at this address. Also at this address (planted in a sidewalk cut) is a red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia) from southwest Australia. Despite its name, the flowers of this tree can bloom red, orange, pink or white (or various shades in between). This tree has beautiful orange flowers when it blooms (I’ve noticed that this one tends to have peak bloom in August and September).

9. 1461 17th Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), Brazil. This address is also notable as the childhood home of Bernice Brown, mother of former Governor Jerry Brown - click here and search “1461” to see an interview with her remembrance of the building. I attended a political event on Woodland Avenue maybe 10 years ago, where former Governor Jerry Brown was in attendance, and he told the crowd that he was “conceived” in that building (!).

Pat Mondanton’s “Angel of Hope” at 1591 Shrader

Optional detour: at Shrader Street, if you want to take a 5 minute trip to a quirky piece of Cole Valley miscellany, head uphill on Shrader until you get to # 1591. The wooden sculpture at this address was built by philanthropist Pat Montandon when she lived here. Montandon hired sculptor Jack Mealy to carve a sculpture of an angel, which she titled "Angel of Hope", out of the trunk of a *huge* Monterrey Cypress to the left of the driveway . The tree had to come down for safety reasons after its neighbor on the other side of the driveway fell over in a 1997 windstorm, and in an inspired move, Pat decided to use the bottom 20 feet to create this work of art. Montandon at the time was in the process of writing a book about angels, which explains the reference. (If you’ve never been on Tank Hill, then you really should detour even further to the top of Shrader Street, then left to the end of Belgrave, then up the stairs for (IMO) the best view in San Francisco.) If you’ve taken this detour, now retreat back downhill on Shrader to 17th Street.

New Zealand Christmas tree, (Metrosideros excelsa) at 1221 Stanyan - a photo of the tree a few years ago. The tree is just beginning to bloom on 6/10/21 — New Zealand Christmas tree, (*Metrosideros excelsa*) at 1221 Stanyan - a photo of the tree a few years ago. The tree is just beginning to bloom on 6/10/21

Continue on 17th until you reach Stanyan Street, cross Stanyan, and turn right. As you cross the street, look to the left - almost the entire long block of Stanyan between 17th and Belgrave at the top of the hill is planted with American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), native to a range from the Alleghenies through Mexico to Central America. These trees tend not to lose their leaves until the new leaves come in the Spring, so by December and January they are providing fall color.

10. 1221 Stanyan New Zealand Christmas tree, (Metrosideros excelsa) from New Zealand. San Francisco has thousands of New Zealand Christmas trees (it’s the City’s second most common tree); it’s popular for the showy red blossoms that peak in June each year. But unlike every other tree on our streets, this tree blooms yellow. It also happens to be my favorite individual tree in San Francisco (click here to see why), in part for its historical connection to the Victor Reiter (San Francisco’s most celebrated horticulturalist of the 20th Century) and his family.

9.5 1221 Stanyan Yarra burgan (Kunzia leptospermoides), Victoria, Australia (this is the small tree at 1221 Stanyan, to the right of the driveway. It’s a very rare and unusual tree in San Francisco - the only one we know of on the City’s streets.

Continue north (downhill) on Stanyan, and when you reach Rivoli Street, cross Stanyan.

11. The tree at the northeast corner of Rivoli and Stanyan is one of the City’s best primrose trees (Lagunaria patersonii), native to northern Australia, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. As of this tour in June 2021, the tree just got a pruning from the City’s relatively new “StreetTreeSF” program.

11.5 1195 Stanyan Rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum), New Zealand (the tall conifer between 1195 and 1199 Stanyan). It’s a very rare tree in San Francisco, and is endemic to New Zealand (meaning it grows only there). 1195 Stanyan was the home of Victor and Carla Reiter, and we can see this rare New Zealand tree here thanks to them.

Continue downhill on Stanyan, cross Alma Street and head east on the north (downhill) side of Alma.

champak tree or joy perfume tree (Magnolia champaca) at 232 Alma - the biggest one in San Francisco! — champak tree or joy perfume tree (*Magnolia champaca*) at 232 Alma - the biggest one in San Francisco!

12. The first tree you’ll encounter on Alma (at the northeast corner of Alma and Stanyan) is a multi-trunked rubber tree (Ficus elastica), native to South Asia. The four tree basins at this address originally had chinese photinia trees that all died simultaneously 20 years or so ago, and the residents of the corner building gradually filled the basins with whatever was handy (a houseplant rubber plant that was getting too big for indoors, a live Christmas tree that needed a home after December 25, some cacti and succulents for a third basin, etc.). The serendipity of the result here makes me smile.

13. 232 Alma - champak tree or joy perfume tree (Magnolia champaca), south and southeast Asia. This tree is a “City Champion” - the biggest champak tree in San Francisco! The whitish blooms of this tree have a beautiful fragrance.

Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana) - photo taken in January when it was in bloom — Bailey’s acacia (*Acacia baileyana*) - photo taken in January when it was in bloom

Turn left on Shrader Street, and continue to the corner of Grattan.

14. 1201 Shrader Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana) from eastern Australia. This corner address has two trees, this is the one with the bluish-grey foliage on the Shrader Street side; if you visit in January you’ll see brilliant yellow flowers.

Turn left on and head west on the south side of Grattan Street.

15. The last three trees before the corner of Stanyan Street are Victorian box trees (Pittosporum undulatum) from eastern Australia. When they’re in bloom, the small white flowers of this tree have a powerful fragrance - you know this tree is around the corner before you see it. This building (after its recent paintjob) is one of my favorites in the neighborhood - the owners have whimsically painted it four different shades of blue, from top to bottom - get a distance view of the building to see what I mean.

16. Turn right on Stanyan. At 1120-22 Stanyan is a young small leaf tristania (Tristanioposis laurina), also known as water gum, and native to eastern Australia. This is (by far) the most commonly planted tree in San Francisco. It’s not a show-stopper; its flowers aren’t eye-popping, and there’s no amazing fragrance to the leaves or flowers, but it has some important virtues: it is almost impossible to kill, suffers from no pests or diseases, doesn’t grow too tall or break sidewalks, and is very easy to prune and maintain.

Turn left on Stanyan for one short block, cross Woodland Avenue; turn left and head uphill on the west side of Woodland. When homes are sold in Woodland, “tree-lined street” almost always ends up somewhere in the marketing for the home. Our family lives on this street, so I have a bit of a resident’s pride in this street’s trees. :)

17. 25 Woodland Blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’), Morocco and Algeria. This majestic tree is one of the best of its type in San Francisco.

18. 43 Woodland and 59 Woodland Soapbark trees (Quillaja saponaria), native to Chile. I’ve thought for a long time that this is an “undeservedly rare” tree in San Francisco - the very few mature soapbarks in the City are spectacular specimens. Soapbark trees have many similarities to our native coast live oak, which isn’t surprising because Chile has a similar Mediterranean climate to ours (dry summers, mild wet winters).

Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea) at 90 Woodland; Richard Neutra’s 1937 “Darling House” on the left — Italian stone pine (*Pinus pinea*) at 90 Woodland; Richard Neutra’s 1937 “Darling House” on the left

19. 90 Woodland two Italian stone pines (Pinus pinea) from the Mediterranean basin. This tree is the source of pine nuts and pignoli. The home at this address is one of the few Bay Area works of Richard Neutra, a noted Austrian modernist architect who designed dozens of homes (mostly in Southern California) from the 1920s to the 1960s. I’ve watched the last two owners of this home lovingly care for these two spectacular trees over the past 25 years.

At the end of Woodland, continue right on Willard Street and follow Willard down to Parnassus.

20. 1403 Willard The tree at this address is the largest victorian box tree (Pittosporum undulatum) in San Francisco, and possibly the largest in the state. Sadly, the tree is beginning to fail - its canopy is thinning, and I’m not sure it has too many more years with us. I hope it’s just the drought!

Cross Parnassus, and head east (downhill) on the north side of Parnassus.

21. 164-66 Parnassus Strawberry tree (Arbutus x ‘Marina’), a hybrid of two European species . This tree was first introduced to horticulture in San Francisco - the interesting San Francisco story can be found here. (There is another thriving and much bigger strawberry tree just around the corner at 1103-09 Shrader.)

Cross Shrader to the east side of the Shrader, and turn left.

fruits of the female ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) at 1044 Shrader - photo was taken 12-31-20 — fruits of the female ginkgo tree (*Ginkgo biloba*) at 1044 Shrader - photo was taken 12-31-20

22. 1044 Shrader ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China. Of the 1,000+ ginkgo trees in San Francisco, I bet fewer than 25 are female trees - this tree is a female, and it’s the only female ginkgo in the neighborhood. Female ginkgoes have malodorous fruit (it smells like vomit - caused by the release of butyric acid, which also gives rancid butter its smell). There are so few places in San Francisco where you can find the female of this species that I devoted a separate page in Trees of San Francisco to record all of the SF locations where I knew they existed. If you’re visiting from November to February, you should be able to find the fruits on the sidewalk beneath this tree. The other ginkgoes nearby (at 1050 Shrader, for example) are all male trees.

Canary Island palm trees (Phoenix canariensis) at 1024 and 1018 Shrader — Canary Island palm trees (*Phoenix canariensis*) at 1024 and 1018 Shrader

23. 1024 and 1018 Shrader Canary Island palm trees (Phoenix canariensis), from the Canary Islands. This is the palm tree that lines upper Market Street, and is also found along the Embarcadero.

Cross Carl Street, and turn right (east) on the north side of Carl.

24. At 134-36 Carl, you’ll find the neighborhood’s largest Chinese hackberry trees (Celtis sinensis) from China, Korea and Japan.

Cross Cole Street, and turn left on east side of Cole.

25. 836 Cole Street. The very tall palm tree deep in a yard at this address is a rare hybrid of the Howea palm genus from Lord Howe Island in the South Pacific. Our palm expert, Jason Dewees, was amazed at this tree and estimates it’s at least 75 years old.

At Frederick Street, cross to the west side of Cole Street to 801 Cole, after which we’ll continue south on Cole.

26. 801 Cole brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), native to Eastern Australia I think this is the most commonly planted large tree in San Francisco at the moment. San Francisco’s Department of Public Works loves the tree - although it gets large, it doesn’t need much pruning or maintenance, it’s fairly friendly to sidewalks, and it’s generally resistant to pests.

27. 751-53 Cole Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), East Asia. The leaves of this tree smell of camphor when crushed (the tree is an important commercial source of camphor).

28. 721 Cole Shamel ash (Fraxinus uhdei), Mexico and Central America I think this is one of the most spectacular trees of any kind in San Francisco, in addition to being (as far as I know) the largest shamel ash in the City. It shows why large trees are important in creating beautiful, tree-lined streets!

Cross Waller Street, and turn right (east) on Waller.

Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos) — Silver dollar gum (*Eucalyptus polyanthemos*)

29. At the northeast corner of Cole and Waller Streets (on Waller, as you approach 1514-16-18 Waller) are several ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’), native (and endemic) to California. This tree doesn’t get very big, so these are some of the largest ceanothus street trees in San Francisco. They put out showy blue flowers when they bloom in late Spring.

30. 1550-52 Waller Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), eastern and southeastern Australia

31. 1514-16-18 Waller Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), Eastern Australia

Cross Clayton Street, turn right and head south (uphill) on the east side of Clayton.

32. The 700 block of Clayton is dominated by London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia) , including all of the trees on the east side of Clayton from Waller Street to 744-46 Clayton. London planes are one of the most popular urban trees in the world - they thrive in New York, London and Paris. This is also the tree that lines Market Street from the financial district all the way to Castro Street.

32.5 774 Clayton English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia and North Africa

32.7 29 Frederick Myoporum, or ngaio in Māori (Myoporum laetum), New Zealand (tree is on Clayton at corner of Frederick; this species is dying all over San Francisco, due to an insect pest called thrips; note that the leaves are poisonous)

Cross Frederick, continuing on the west side of Clayton Street.

Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) - 24 Carl Street — Chinese windmill palm (*Trachycarpus fortunei*) - 24 Carl Street

33. The first four trees past Frederick Street on Clayton are American sweetgum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua), native to a range from the Alleghenies through Mexico to Central America.

34. 812 and 816 Clayton Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), Southern China and Vietnam.

35. 822 Clayton Mock orange or tobira (Pittosporum tobira); southern Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. Intensely fragrant flowers. We think this is a “City Champion” - the biggest of its kind in San Francisco!

At Carl Street, turn right and head downhill on the north side of Carl.

36. 24-26 Carl Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), China This is the palm tree that will survive further north than any other palm - it can easily handle winters in Seattle and London.

37. 32-24 Carl Gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla), Southern Brazil I love this tree - it is a relatively recent introduction to San Francisco, and IMO is still “undeservedly rare”. The tree puts out spectacular grapefruit-size inflorescences of yellow flowers when it blooms. Congrats to the residents here on Carl Street for planting this very cool tree!

Cross Carl Street carefully, and then backtrack to head uphill (east) on Carl.

38. 17 Carl glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), native to Southern China. This tree has white, lilac-shaped flowers that bloom in early summer; the flowers attract bees (a friend who is a California native told me that as a kid, he called it the “bee tree”) but unlike lilacs, have an unpleasant odor.

Continue east (uphill) on Carl; turn right and head south on Clayton.

39. 893 Clayton There are two trees at this address - the one closest to the corner is a northern rata (Metrosideros robusta) from New Zealand - a very rare tree in San Francisco, and this tree is one of the largest in the City. The tree next to it at this address is a “botanical sibling” - a New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros excelsa), also from New Zealand. Unlike the northern rata, which is extremely rare, the New Zealand Christmas tree is San Francisco’s 2nd most common street tree.

Turn right and head west on Parnassus.

39.5 22 Parnassus Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium), New Zealand

40. 58-60 Parnassus Two Italian bay trees (Laurus nobilis), native to the Mediterranean Basin. This is the culinary bay that is used in Mediterranean cuisine. These Parnassus Avenue trees are sending up basal shoots, or “suckers” from their trunks. An amazing coincidence: When I was researching this tree for my Trees of San Francisco book, I was amazed to discover a quote from the Roman poet Virgil in his Georgics, from 29 BC: “Beneath its mother’s mighty shade upshoots the bay tree of Parnassus”. (!) Grab one of the leaves from the suckers, crush and smell it - you’ll get the powerful bay fragrance immediately.

Cross Cole Street to the final tree on our tour, kitty-corner from the start of the tour.

Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) at Cole and Parnassus — Carob tree (*Ceratonia siliqua*) at Cole and Parnassus

41. Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), East Mediterranean Basin. In the Mediterranean, carob pods are often used as animal feed. The ripe and dried pod of the carob tree is often ground into carob powder, which is sometimes used as a chocolate substitute.

If you enjoyed this tour (or if you just want to help keep a local book in print!), there are a dozen of them in my book, Trees of San Francisco. The book is full of photos and info about 70+ trees that you’re likely to find on our City’s streets. Pick it up at any of our independent bookstores, or if you prefer, buy it online.

Poppy lane’s California buckeye (Aesculus californica) — Poppy lane’s California buckeye (*Aesculus californica*)

Poppy Lane Buckeye

May 23, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

Last November, Dick Turner, Jason Dewees and I chalked our Glen Park tree tour, and some residents of the neighborhood joined us for the tour. As we meandered through Glen Park, they told us about a gigantic California Buckeye on Poppy Lane, one of Glen Park’s unpaved “country roads”. Curious, I visited the tree a couple of weeks later, and was totally wowed - I think it is the largest buckeye (Aesculus californica) in the City. I made a mental note to go back one day when the tree was in bloom.

Today was that day! Poppy Lane extends east and west of Diamond Street, so to find the tree you need to be on the part of Poppy between Diamond and Conrad Streets - it’s on the north side of the lane, and you can’t miss it.

I’m voting this tree of one San Francisco’s top 10 most impressive, so I’ll add it to my “top 10 list”, which is quickly growing into a “top 20”!

Forest Hill Tree Tour 5-15-21

May 17, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

What began just over a hundred years ago as a streetcar suburb ” within the city limits has matured into the leafiest neighborhood in town. The master-planned community of Forest Hill drapes over the gentle hills west of the Forest Hill Muni Station. Filled with elegant homes in an eclectic mix of architectural styles, its streets are lined by a notable diversity of trees, all maintained by the Forest Hill Association. Many of the pines, cypresses, eucalyptus, and elms are now mature and stately, often creating canopies that arch over the curving streets.

Forest Hill Clubhouse with some Monterey pines (Pinus radiata) — Forest Hill Clubhouse with some Monterey pines (*Pinus* *radiata*)

Despite the diversity of trees in Forest Hill, this tour tallies a relatively short list of trees, in part because we focused on the neighborhood’s most distinctive species. It could also be because it was the coldest day we’ve experienced in the past year of laying out tree tours. Brrr. . .

This walk begins in front of the Bernard Maybeck-designed Forest Hills Clubhouse on Magellan Avenue, and heads northeast along Magellan to Pacheco Street, then north on Pacheco, and northeast on Castenada Avenue. Opposite the intersection of Castenada and Magellan, the walk heads uphill on the steps, alongside a beautifully maintained garden. At the top of the steps, the walk continues across Pacheco and west on Lopez Avenue, north on Sotelo Avenue, southwest on Santa Rita Avenue, and west on Mesa Avenue to 9th Avenue. At 9th Avenue, the walk heads west and south a short distance to steps that lead down to the divided section of San Marcos Avenue and then down more steps to Castenada Avenue, where it winds around to the west and south to Montalvo Avenue, and then southeast on Montalvo to Magellan. At Magellan, the walk heads northeast, where it ends at the Clubhouse. This walk is barely a mile in length, but it does include a number of staircases to help navigate the hills. (Some of these elegant staircases are featured in Adah Bakalinsky’s classic book, Stairway Walks in San Francisco.)

Forest Hill Clubhouse garden

1. 381 Magellan Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Año Nuevo, Monterey, Cambria, CA native (the most widely planted coniferous tree in the world, mostly for lumber)

Myoporum or ngaio in Māori (Myoporum laetum) - closeup of leaf affected by thrip — Myoporum or ngaio in Māori (*Myoporum laetum*) - closeup of leaf affected by thrip

2. 381 Magellan Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA

3. 381 Magellan Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco)

Magellan Avenue, east to Pacheco, southeast side

4. 365 Magellan Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia

5. 321 Magellan 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)

6. 321 Magellan Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia (row of 4 edging the driveway)

Hercules aloe (Aloidendton ‘Hercules’) — Hercules aloe (*Aloidendton ‘Hercules*’)

**Cross Magellan at the intersection of Dorantes; then cross Dorantes to continue on Magellan to Pacheco Street.

6.5 As you turn from Magellan to Pacheco, look across the street to see a row of Hercules aloe (Aloidendron ‘Hercules’) on Pacheco just below Magellan.

Pacheco Street, Magellan to Castenada, west side

7. 201 Pacheco Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), Chile (stiff sharply pointed leaves are said to prohibit monkeys, or anything else, from climbing the trees; watch for a mature specimen at #19)

8. 275 Pacheco Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’), Eurasia and North Africa (these 4 trees have recently been pruned to rejuvenate them)

9. 205 Castenada European weeping birch (Betula pendula), Eurasia and North Africa (not usually well-adapted to SF; tree is on the corner of Magellan and Castaneda, within the front yard)

Castenada Avenue, Pacheco to Magellan, east side

10. 181 Castenada Japanese cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica), Japan & China (national tree of Japan, where it is known as “sugi”)

11. 145 Castenada Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California and San Francisco native!

12. 127 Castenada Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara), Himalayas (the nearer tree)

Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’), Morocco & Algeria (behind the deodar)

Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’) — Coast live oak (*Quercus agrifolia*) and Blue Atlas cedar (*Cedrus atlantica* ‘Glauca’)

**Walk up Forest Hill Path, the narrow public steps from Castenada to Pacheco (note the beautiful cottage garden on the right side of the steps). Cross Pacheco and continue west along Lopez Avenue to Sotelo Avenue

American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) — American sweetgum (*Liquidambar styraciflua*)

Sotelo Avenue, Lopez to Santa Rita, northeast side

13. 10 Sotelo Island oak (Quercus tomentella), California’s Channel Islands (a CA native) and Guadalupe Island, Mexico (these young trees represent a new species introduction that should thrive in the city’s climate)

Santa Rita Avenue, Sotelo to Mesa, east side

14. 11 Santa Rita Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), Eastern USA to Mexico & Central America

15. 11 Santa Rita English holly (Ilex aquifolium), Eurasia and North Africa

16. 35 Santa Rita Cutleaf Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum’), Japan, China, & Korea

17. 35 Santa Rita Paperbark maple (Acer griseum), Central China (note the richly colored peeling bark)

** Cross Santa Rita at Mesa Avenue.

Mesa Avenue, Santa Rita to 9th, north side

18. 2 Mesa Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), Norfolk Island, South Pacific (2 trees, plus one across the street)

Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) on left; its botanical sibling monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) on the right — Norfolk Island pine (*Araucaria heterophylla*) on left; its botanical sibling monkey puzzle tree (*Araucaria araucana*) on the right

19. 2206 - 9th Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), Chile (tree is on Mesa, across the street; it is a close relative of the Norfolk Island pine)

20. 32 Mesa Sourgum or tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), Eastern USA

Sourgum or tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), just beginning to leaf out in May — Sourgum or tupelo (*Nyssa sylvatica*), just beginning to leaf out in May

**Cross to the far side of 9th Avenue.

9th Avenue, west of Mesa, west side

European beech (Fagus sylvatica) — European beech (*Fagus sylvatica*)

21. 2193 - 9th Lily-of-the-valley tree (Clethra arborea), Madeira (rarely happy in San Francisco, but this one is a city champion)

22. 2209 - 9th Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Big Sur to southwest Oregon; California coastal native (tallest tree species in the world)

**Cross 9th and walk down the long flight of steps to Pacheco and continue on down more steps to Castenada Avenue.

Castenada Avenue, west to Montalvo, north side

23. 390 Castenada European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Europe (these three trees are color selections of the wild green-leafed species)

Montalvo Avenue, Castenada to Dorantes, east side

24. 15 Montalvo New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand

25. 50 Montalvo Brush cherry (Syzygium australe, previously known as S. paniculatum), Eastern Australia (across the street)

**Cross Montalvo at Dorantes.

Montalvo Avenue, Dorantes to Magellan, west side

26. 120 Montalvo Paul’s Scarlet hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’), Europe (2 trees beginning to flower)

27. 130 Montalvo Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (2 trees)

Magellan Avenue, east of Magellan, south side

28. 201 Montalvo Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), China (thought by Western science to be extinct, but discovered in central China in the 1940s; 2 young trees flank the steps at corner of Montalvo and Magellan)

29. 201 Montalvo European elm (Ulmus sp.), Europe (we’re not sure which species; the trees are on Magellan and many other streets in the neighborhood)

The tour ends here, a few yards short of its beginning at the Forest Hill Clubhouse.

"Ask Mike Anything"

May 06, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEjqPSqWDyU&t=2s

Excelsior “Social-Distancing” Tree Tour 4-9-21

April 13, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

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.

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.

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) — 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) — 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’) — 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 — 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

19. 395 Athens Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia and South Pacific Islands

Athens Street, Brazil to Excelsior, northwest side

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

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) — 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.

San Francisco Tree Map -Easily Find Landmark Trees Near You!

April 04, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

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

March 21, 2021 by Michael Sullivan

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) — 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 — 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. — 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) — 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. — 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 i… — 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 or… — 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.