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.

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).

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.

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!