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.

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.

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.

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!