We were treated to another gorgeous autumn day for this walk through the “Transmission” neighborhood, with a focus on Fair Oaks, one of the most desirable streets in the Mission/Noe Valley neighborhoods. A warm climate with underground streams likely, this neighborhood is filled with an array of notable trees, including a few seldom seen in the City. It’s a short walk, but a rich one tree-wise.

The walk begins on Dolores and 22nd streets and heads east on 22nd to Fair Oaks Street, then south on Fair Oaks to 24th Street, east on 24th to San Jose Avenue, north on San Jose to 22nd, and then west on 22nd to Fair Oaks, a block from the tour’s start. This walk is a little over one mile long.

Numbered trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in blue, run from 1 to 46. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

China doll tree (Radermachera sinica) - a City Champion - biggest in San Francisco by far! — China doll tree (*Radermachera sinica*) - a City Champion - biggest in San Francisco by far!

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.

Dolores Street at 22nd Street, northeast corner

1. 895 Dolores Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Eastern Mediterranean Basin (seed pods can be used to make a chocolate substitute—though not recommended for true chocolate lovers)

22nd Street, Dolores to Fair Oaks, north side

2. 2476 - 22nd Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), Argentina, Bolivia

3. 3470 - 22nd China doll tree (Radermachera sinica), China and Taiwan (City champion; biggest of its species in SF!) We picked the location of this tour in part because of this tree - it is one of San Francisco’s most notable trees.

Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) on 22nd Street — Peppermint willow (*Agonis flexuosa) on 22nd Street*

4. 3456 - 22nd Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia (one of SF’s biggest and best)

Turn right on Fair Oaks Street.

Fair Oaks Street, 22nd to 23rd, west side

5. 3451 - 22nd Pink Majestic Indian hawthorn (Raphiolepis x ‘Montic’), South China and Japan to Southeast Asia (tree is on Fair Oaks)

6. 108 Fair Oaks Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), SouthAsia (a common, albeit problematic, street tree throughout SF)

7. 110 Fair Oaks Snake-bark maple (Acer davidii), China (another City champion; a very very rare tree in San Francisco - this is the biggest of the species in SF)

8. 112 Fair Oaks Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), West Coast and Rocky Mountains to South Mexico (needle leaves, a CA native tree!)

9. 114 Fair Oaks Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), East Asia (tree is on 22nd)

Two female ginkgos (Ginkgo biloba) on Fair Oaks — Two female ginkgos (*Ginkgo biloba*) on Fair Oaks

10. 116 Fair Oaks Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (these are both female trees; it’s very rare to find female Ginkgos as street trees - their nuts are edible, but the rotting flesh stinks)

11. 145 Fair Oaks Senegal date palm (Phoenix reclinata), South Africa to Kenya to Senegal (across the street; rare in SF)

11b. 116 Fair Oaks Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand

12. 118 Fair Oaks Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia

13. 120 Fair Oaks Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ or ‘Kaizuka’), East Asia

14. 120 Fair Oaks Snow-in-summer tree or flax-leaf paperbark (Melaleuca linariifolia), Eastern Australia (feel the spongy bark)

15. 124 Fair Oaks Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), East Asia

16. 180 Fair Oaks Red horse chestnut (Aesculus x carnea), hybrid of European and American species (2 trees)

Fair Oaks Street, 23rd to 24th, west side

17. 200 Fair Oaks Little-leaf linden (Tilia cordata), Eurasia (3 trees on 23rd)

18. 202 Fair Oaks London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species

19. 206 Fair Oaks Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil (3 trees)

20. 216 Fair Oaks Cabbage tree or tī kōuka in Māori (Cordyline australis), New Zealand (a particularly tall specimen, reaching for the light between the buildings)

21. 261 Fair Oaks Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata), East Asia (across the street; a common replacement for American elms, which were decimated by Dutch elm disease in the eastern USA)

22. 260 Fair Oaks Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’), Eurasia and North Africa

23. 264 Fair Oaks Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile

24. 272 Fair Oaks Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’), Eurasia (a selection of purple-leaf plum that originated in a Bakersfield nursery)

25. 286 Fair Oaks “Wishful” water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina “Esperanza”), Eastern Australia (add a wish of your own)

Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius) — Brazilian pepper tree (*Schinus terebinthifolius*)

Turn left on 24th Street.

24th Street, Fair Oaks to Guerrero, north side

26. 3638 - 24th Bronze loquat (Raphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), Southern China and Vietnam

27. 3632 - 24th Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species, first introduced in San Francisco - the interesting San Francisco story can be found here

28. 3618 - 24th Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), Brazil

**Short jog left on Guerrero to see #29, then return to 24th Street.

Guerrero Street, just north of 24th, west side

29. 1100-1102 Guerrero California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera), Southern California; also Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Mexico; (the two palms are across the street). The California fan palm, with the thicker trunk, is very rare in San Francisco, and it’s interesting to see it next to its thinner-trunked relative at this address.

24th Street, Guerrero to San Jose, north side

30. 3599 - 24th Nichol’s willow-leaf peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii), Southeast Australia (across the street, alongside Fiore Cafe)

31. 3528 - 24th Gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla), Southern Brazil

32. 3502 - 24th Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), Mediterranean Basin (source of pine nuts/pignoli)

San Jose Avenue, 24th to Elizabeth, west side

33. 120 San Jose Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (white flowers, very fragrant)

33-1/2. 102 San Jose Gingko (Gingkgo biloba), China - two more female ginkgos! These trees were full of fruit that will soon be “odoriferous” on the street. This was the second address on this tour with two female ginkgos - a big surprise to the three of us.

34. 1 Elizabeth New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (widely planted in SF, where it loves our cool, coastal climate)

35. 123 San Jose Two big-leaf maple trees (Acer macrophyllum), West Coast; SF native. It’s very rare to see this California native as a street tree!

San Jose Avenue at 23rd, southwest corner

35. 4 Elizabeth Lemon (Citrus x limon) South Asia (tree is at corner of 23rd and San Jose)

36. 3503 - 23rd Shoestring acacia (Acacia stenophylla), Western Australia

37. 3503 - 23rd Knife-leaf acacia (Acacia cultriformis), Eastern Australia

38. 3503 - 23rd Pasopaya palm (Parajubaea torallyi), Bolivian Andes (5 trees; very rare tree on San Francisco’s streets)

39. 3503 - 23rd Waggie palm (Trachycarpus fortunei ‘Wagnerianus’); also a Blue Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis var. argentea), Algeria and Morocco

Turn left on San Jose Avenue.

San Jose Avenue, 23rd to 22nd, west side

40. 50 San Jose Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Southeast USA

***Please cross 22nd Street carefully***

22nd Street, San Jose to Guerrero, north side

41. 3326 - 22nd Paradox walnut (Juglans x paradoxa), hybrid of CA native and European species)

42. 3334 - 22nd Prickly melaleuca (Melaleuca styphelioides), Eastern Australia

43. 3342 - 22nd Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (one of SF’s best specimens)

** If you have time, take a side excursion to 1054-1058 Guerrero to pay homage to some interesting trees at Flora Grubb’s previous residence, before continuing on 22nd.**

1054 Guerrero Willow wattle (Acacia iteaphylla), South Australia; Puka (Meryta sinclairii), New Zealand; Forest Pansy redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’), Eastern USA

1058 Guerrero Tree aloe (Aloidendron barberae, formerly Aloe bainesii), South and East Africa (two magnificent specimens)

22nd Street, Guerrero to Fair Oaks, north side

44. 3412 - 22nd Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Eastern Australia (feel the spongy bark)

45. 3446 - 22nd River wattle (Acacia cognata), Southeast Australia

46. 3446 - 22nd Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), East and Southeast Australia

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.