Another Saturday, another San Francisco #covidtreetour, where we chalk tree descriptions and -> directional arrows -> on sidewalks, to allow social-distancing walkers to safely explore the urban forest. Our group is the same: Jason Dewees (author of Designing with Palms), Richard Turner (Editor Emeritus of Pacific Horticulture), and me. This week (Saturday, 5-16-20), we chalked the Inner Mission neighborhood - the tour is bounded by 16th, Valencia, 19th, and Dolores. It begins at the California State Historical Marker, which notes the first location of Mission Dolores Chapel on Albion Street at its intersection with Camp Street. (And a big thank you to Richard Turner, who types up these notes.)

Most trees are labeled with common and scientific names and country of origin, all written in white chalk on the sidewalk; accompanying numbers, in red, run from 1 to 53.

This walk heads south on Albion Street to 17th Street, then west on 17th to Valencia, south on Valencia to 18th, east on 18th, south on Lexington, west on 19th, north on Dolores, east on 17th, north on Guerrero, east on Camp, north on the west side of Albion to 16th, and back south on the east side of Albion to the tour’s beginning at Camp.

White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed. The street numbers provided below will help when the chalk has faded. Most of the trees are planted in pockets in the sidewalk pavement; a few are planted on private property between the sidewalk and the house; and some are planted in the medians of Dolores and Guerrero and in Dolores Park.

Note: We knew we were taking a chance chalking this tour, given the forecast of rain. The rain did come, and most of the white chalk was washed away; the red chalked numbers, for the most part, remain. The trees, however, are still there, and this detailed itinerary will allow you to find them with ease.

Albion Street, Camp to 17th, east side

1. 145 Albion Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), E Australia

2. 145 Albion Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Brazil

3. 157 Albion Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), E Australia f(in full bloom now)

152 Albion Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis), E Australia (across the street; also in full bloom - interesting to see the two related species so close together)

4. 165 Albion Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species, first discovered in San Francisco

5. 168 Albion Snow-in-summer tree (Melaleuca linariifolia), E Australia (across the street)

6. 175 Albion Prickly paperbark (Melaleuca styphelioides), E Australia (across the street)

17th Street, Albion to Valencia, north side

7. 3412 - 17th New Zealand Christmas tree, called “pōhutukawa” in the Maori language (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand

Valencia Street, 17th to 18th, west side

8. 630 Valencia Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), E Australia

9. 630 Valencia Valley oak (Quercus lobata), California native (west end of building, inside the fence)

10. 600 block London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), hybrid of E USA species and European species (most of the trees on the east side of street)

11. 696 Valencia Silk oak (Grevillea robusta), E Australia (best specimen in SF; flowering at the top)

Cross 18th and turn left, crossing Valencia and continue one short block to Lexington, where you will turn right.

Lexington Street, 18th to 19th, east side

12. 103 Lexington Sweetshade (Hymenosporum flavum), E Australia

sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum) — sweetshade tree (*Hymenosporum flavum*)

12 ½. 120 Lexington Japanese blueberry tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens), Japan (across the street)

13. 133 Lexington Primrose tree (Lagunaria pattersonii), Australia & S Pacific Islands

14. 153 Lexington Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), Argentina, Bolivia

150 Lexington Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (across the street)

15. 171 Lexington Bracelet honey myrtle (Melaleuca armillaris), SE Australia

16. 185 Lexington Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), E Australia. Turn right on 19th Street.

19th Street, Lexington to Valencia, south side

17. 3471 - 19th Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), SE USA

19th Street, Valencia to Guerrero, south side

18. 3505 - 19th Chinaberry (Melia azederach), China & N India (rare in SF; a weed elsewhere)

19. 3505 - 19th Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis), W & C China (west end of building)

20. 3523 - 19th Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), S China

21. 3528 - 19th Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa), S Asia

22. Mission Pool Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (small tree in the sidewalk)

23. Mission Pool Spotted gum (Corymbia maculata), E Australia (the very large tree against the building - this is a spectacular specimen of this species, one of the best in SF)

24. 3573 - 19th Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), Iran

19th Street, Guerrero to Dolores, south side

25. 3615 - 19th Fern-leaf Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), Santa Cruz Island, CA native

26. 3623 - 19th Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly SF’s most planted street tree)

27. 3627 - 19th Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), E USA to Mexico & C America

28. 3635 - 19th Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum) E Australia

29. 3665 - 19th Bronze loquat (Raphiolepis deflexa), E Asia

30. 3673 - 19th River wattle (Acacia cognata), SE Australia

31. 595 Dolores Silver dollar gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), E Australia (3 trees on 19th, north side)

Dolores Park

Turn right on Dolores, but first look across the street to the four palms that flank the 19th Street entrance to Dolores Park.

32. 19th St entrance Chilean palm (Jubaea chilensis), Chile (4 trees flanking the park entrance)

Dolores Street, 19th to 18th, east side

33. 591 Dolores Chilean pepper (Schinus polygamus), Chile (very rare in SF)

Canary Island palm (Phoenix canariensis) — Canary Island palm (*Phoenix canariensis*)

34. 583 Dolores Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands (also the dominant palm in the Dolores median)

35. 573 Dolores Red horse chestnut (Aesculus x carnea), hybrid of European and American species

36. 569 Dolores Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), SE USA

37. 561 Dolores Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), E Asia

38. 553 Dolores Turkish sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis), E Mediterranean Basin

38 ½. 547 Dolores Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Mexico (tall palm in the median)

39. 547 Dolores Blackwood acacia (Acacia melanoxylon), SE Australia

40. 527 Dolores Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis), Guadalupe Island, Baja (short palm in the median)

Dolores Street, 18th to 17th, east side

41. 497 Dolores Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Mediterranean Basin

42. 443 Dolores Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), Brazil

43. 431 Dolores Ficus (Ficus microcarpa), India to China. Turn right on 17th Street

17th Street, Dolores to Guerrero, south side

44. 3573 - 17th Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’), E Asia

45. 3559 - 17th Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), E Australia

46. 3537 - 17th Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), SW Australia

47. 3525 - 17th Carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides), E Australia. Cross Guerrero, and turn left on to head north on Guerrero.

Guerrero Street at 17th, west side

48. 490 Guerrero Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), E & SE Australia

Guerrero Street, 17th to Camp, east side

49. 451 Guerrero Shoestring acacia (Acacia stenophylla), W Australia (trees are in the median)

50. (Skipped)

Turn right and head east on Camp Street to Albion, where you will turn left.

Albion Street, Camp to 16th, west side

51. 144 Albion Snow-in-summer tree (Melaleuca linariifolia), E Australia. At 16th Street, cross Albion and head back on the south side of the street.

snow in summer (Melaleuca linariifolia) — snow in summer (*Melaleuca linariifolia*)

Albion Street, 16th to Camp, east side

52. 3139 16th Lemonwood (Pittosporum eugenioides), New Zealand

53. 131 Albion Cedro blanco (Cedrela fissilis), Argentina to Costa Rica (only one in SF)