NOPA “Social-Distancing” Tree Tour 11-14-20

As long as we have good weather, like this past Sunday in NOPA, we’ll continue chalking out these tours. Thanks to all who greet us so warmly on these tours and share with us their enthusiasm for our modest attempts to spread the good word about San Francisco’s incredible urban forest. 

Soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria) at 736 Masonic - largest soapbark in San Francisco

Soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria) at 736 Masonic - largest soapbark in San Francisco

Today’s walk in the neighborhood known as NOPA, on the north side of the Panhandle, begins with an outstanding tree on Masonic Avenue, just north of Hayes Street. From there, it heads north to Grove Street, east on Grove to Lyon Street, north on Lyon to McAllister Street, east on McAllister to Baker Street, and north on Baker to Turk. On Turk, it heads west for about a third of a block, before returning to Baker and turning south to Golden Gate Avenue, then east on Golden Gate to Broderick Street, north on Broderick to Turk, then back south on Broderick to Grove, west on Grove to Baker, south on Baker to Hayes, and finally west on Hayes back to the start of the walk at Masonic. This walk is just under two miles long. 

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

Masonic Avenue, Hayes to Grove, east side

1. 736 Masonic            Soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria), Chile (city champion; biggest of this species in San Francisco!)        

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2. 700 block of Masonic           Shamel ash (Fraxinus uhdei), Mexico (a row of tall trees across the street on the west side of Masonic, along side City College’s John Adams Center) 

Turn right (east) on Grove Street. 

Grove Street, Masonic to Central, north side

3. 1798 Grove              Snow-in-summer tree or flax-leaf paperbark (Melaleuca linariifolia), East Australia (feel the spongy bark) 

4. 1772 Grove              Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Eastern Australia (this tree grows in streamside locations in the wild; hence, the common name; the tree is also known as a “small leaf tristania”).  This is San Francisco’s most commonly planted street tree                       

Grove Street, Central to Lyon, north side

5. 1690 Grove              Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (3 trees) 

6. 1660 Grove              Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), China & Vietnam (this species seldom does well in San Francisco, but these seem to be thriving, at least in this season) 

7. 1656 Grove              Majestic Beauty Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x ‘Montic’), Southern China & Japan to Southeast Asia

8. 1646 Grove              Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), Mediterranean Basin (usually a large shrub)

 Turn left (north) on Lyon Street. 

Lyon Street, Grove to Fulton, east side

Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis)

Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis)

9. 542 Lyon                  Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis), Guadalupe Island, Mexico (perfectly adapted to San Francisco) 

Lyon Street, Fulton to McAllister, west side

Dwarf southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’)

Dwarf southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’)

10. 605 Lyon                Japanese blueberry tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens), East Asia 

Turn right (east) on McAllister Street. 

McAllister Street, Lyon to Baker, north side

11. 1872 McAllister     Dwarf southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’), Southeast USA 

12. 1856 McAllister     Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’), a variety of a Eurasian species 

13. 1836 McAllister     Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South & Southeast Asia to Northern Australia (4 trees; a common, albeit problematic, street tree throughout San Francisco) 

14. 1806 McAllister     Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly San Francisco’s most planted street tree) 

We loved this garage door on Grove Street!

We loved this garage door on Grove Street!

15. 1801 McAllister     Firethorn (Pyracantha hybrid), Eurasia (across the street; the crooked tree with bright red fruits) 

Turn left (north) on Baker Street. 

Baker Street, McAllister to Golden Gate, west side

16. 711 Baker               Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), a California native confined to two small populations near Carmel, California, at Cypress Point in Pebble Beach and at Point Lobos. 

Mayten (Maytenus boaria)

Mayten (Maytenus boaria)

17. 715 Baker               Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile (this vigorous tree is sending up shoots in nearby tree boxes and in cracks in the sidewalk) 

Baker Street, Golden Gate to Turk, west side

Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa)   A giant tree - biggest peppermint willow in San Francisco!

Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) A giant tree - biggest peppermint willow in San Francisco!

18. 841 Baker               Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia (this giant is a city champion – the biggest of its species in San Francisco!) 

Turn left on Turk Street. 

Turk Street, west of Baker, south side

19. 861 Baker               Tītoki tree (Alectryon excelsus), New Zealand (a very rare tree in San Francisco, but we think undeservedly rare!) 

20. 861 Baker               Avocado tree (Persea americana), Mexico & Central America 

22. 2037 Turk              Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla), Eastern Australia (2 trees well inside the fenced yard) 

Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa)

Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa)

23. 2047 Turk              Bronze loquat (Rhaphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), Southern China and Vietnam 

**Turn around and return to Baker, cross street and head right (downhill) on Baker** 

Baker Street, Turk to Golden Gate, east side

23. 830 Baker               Trident maple (Acer buergerianum), East Asia 

Turn left on Golden Gate Avenue. 

Golden Gate Avenue, Baker to Broderick, north side

24. 1888 Golden Gate              Primrose tree (Lagunaria patersonii), Australia & South Pacific Islands 

Turn left (north) on Broderick Street. 

tree of heaven, AKA “the tree that grows in Brooklyn” (Ailanthus altissima)

tree of heaven, AKA “the tree that grows in Brooklyn” (Ailanthus altissima)

Broderick Street, Golden Gate to Turk, west side

25. 929 Broderick        Tree of heaven, also known as “the tree that grows in Brooklyn” (Ailanthus altissima), China & Taiwan. It’s considered a weed tree in many places around the world, but it’s uncommon in San Francisco.  This one is a city champion: the biggest of its kind in San Francisco! 

**Head north to the traffic signal at Turk and cross to the east side of Broderick, then turn right (south) on Broderick** 

Broderick Street, Turk to Golden Gate, east side

26. 914 Broderick        Cherry laurel, English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), Black Sea 

Broderick Street, Golden Gate to McAllister, east side

27. 850 Broderick        Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (4 trees) 

28. 1698 McAllister     Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (row of 5 trees) 

closeup - leaves and (very fragrant!) flowers of Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum)

closeup - leaves and (very fragrant!) flowers of Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum)

29. 1700 McAllister     Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Southern Brazil   (2 young trees on McAllister, at corner of Broderick, across the street) 

Broderick Street, McAllister to Fulton, east side

30. 730 Broderick        Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia 

31. 1384 Fulton            London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of Eastern USA species and European species 

At Fulton Street, cross Fulton and continue south on Broderick Street. 

Broderick Street, Fulton to Grove, west side

32. 641 Broderick        Fern-leaf Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius); this subspecies is found in California’s Channel Islands, except Catalina Island. 

33. 639 Broderick        Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), a hybrid of Mediterranean species (first introduced in San Francisco – click here for the interesting story of this tree) 

34. 601 Broderick        European weeping birch (Betula pendula), Eurasia (not usually well-adapted to San Francisco)  

Turn right on Grover Street.  

Grove Street, Broderick to Baker, north side

35. 601 Broderick        Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (row of young trees are on Grove) 

[36 not used] 

37. 1432 Grove            Beaked yucca (Yucca rostrata), Texas & N Mexico (4 young trees with stiff, sharply pointed leaves) 

Dragon tree (Dracaena draco)

Dragon tree (Dracaena draco)

38. 1432 Grove            Dragon tree (Dracaena draco), Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and W Morocco (a very cool tree - far too rare in San Francisco!) 

39. 1477 Grove            Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), Southeastern Australia (3 trees across the street, alongside the San Francisco Health Care & Rehab Center) 

40. 1480 Grove            Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), Southern China 

41. 1477 Grove            Sydney golden wattle (Acacia longifolia), Southeastern Australia (across the street at the corner of the San Francisco Health Care & Rehab Center) 

Grove Street, Baker to Lyon, north side

42. 1500 Grove            Myoporum or ngaio in Māori (Myoporum laetum), New Zealand (this species is dying all over San Francisco, due to an insect pest called thrips;     these trees, on both Grove and Baker, are doing uncommonly well) 

**Turn left and head south on Baker toward Hayes** 

Baker Street, Grove to Hayes, west side

Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)

Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)

43. 1501 Grove            Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) (two trees are on Baker side of the building).  This is one of the few trees native to San Francisco 

44. 1477 Grove            Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), Eastern & Southeastern Australia (tree is across the street at San Francisco Health Care & Rehab Center) 

45. 405 Baker               Peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), Southwest Australia    

Cross Hayes Street, and turn right on Hayes. 

Hayes Street, Baker to Lyon, south side

46. 1500 Hayes            Round-leaf sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba’), Eastern USA to Mexico & C America (a selection with rounded leaf lobes, quite distinct from the other sweetgums; most of the young trees in this block are this selection) 

47. 1500 Hayes            Yarwood plane tree (Platanus occidentalis ‘Yarwood’), Eastern North America (the row of trees on the south side of Gene Friend Way; this selection originated at Sather Tower, UC Berkeley) 

48. 370 Lyon                Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands (2 trees within the fenced yard on Lyon, just south of Hayes) 

Hayes Street, Lyon to Central, south side

Red-leaf photinia (Photinia x fraseri)

Red-leaf photinia (Photinia x fraseri)

49. 1673 Hayes            Red-leaf photinia (Photinia x fraseri), China (more commonly seen as a dense shrub with red new foliage along our freeways) 

50. 464 Central            Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), Southwest Australia (3 trees, just south of Hayes; this tree loves San Francisco’s climate) 

Hayes Street, Central to Masonic, south side

51. 1731 Hayes            Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), East Asia 

52. 1757 Hayes            Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), Eastern & Southeastern Australia 

Turn right on Masonic.   

This tree walk ends at Masonic Avenue, near its beginning at 736 Masonic, just north of Hayes.

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