On yet another warm and sunny, but disturbingly dry, winter day, we began our walk at Alamo Square Park, known mostly for its iconic views of a row of classic Victorian homes against the backdrop of the downtown skyline—much changed since the homes were built. The park is filled with grassy slopes for sunning and picnicking, along with recent plantings of California native shrubs and perennials combined with climate-appropriate plants from other regions of the world. We then headed down into the lively Hayes Valley neighborhood with its many boutiques and fine eateries.

Today’s walk begins on the south side of Alamo Square, on Hayes Street just west of the Pierce Street steps. Crossing Hayes at Pierce, the walk then heads east down Hayes to Laguna Street, then south on Laguna to Oak Street, west on Oak to Steiner, north on Steiner to Fell, west on Fell one block to Pierce, and back north on Pierce to its start at Hayes. This walk is about one and a half miles in length.

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 35. White arrows on the pavement provide directions whenever a turn is needed.

Alamo Square, Hayes at Pierce streets, north side

1. East of the Pierce Street steps Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Carmel, CA (one of the three most commonly planted trees in San Francisco’s parks, including this one; a young tree is just above the sidewalk, while most of the tallest trees in the park are this cypress)

Hayes Street, Pierce to Steiner, south side (north side of Ida Wells School)

2. 1099 Hayes Hybrid pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa x kermadecensis), New Zealand mainland and Kermadec Islands (several street trees along the north side of the school property; the rounded leaves, relatively few aerial roots, and winter flowers suggest that this tree may be a hybrid)

3. 1099 Hayes Northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta), North and South Island, New Zealand (less commonly seen in San Francisco than the other species of Metrosideros; note the smaller, shinier leaves)

4. 1045 Hayes Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), Mediterranean Basin

**Cross Hayes and then cross Steiner**

Steiner Street, north of Hayes, east side

5. 700 Steiner Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), South Asia to Australia (most of this block of Steiner is planted with these figs, though some are not this cultivar but the straight species)

Hayes Street, Steiner to Fillmore, north side

6. 700 Steiner Red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), east and southeast Australia (large trees line both sides of this block of Hayes; red or pink flowers will appear later in the year)

7. 940 Hayes Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Baja California and Sonora, Mexico (2 trees at the inner most end of the courtyard, which is filled with some interesting plants, including flowering yesterday-today-and-tomorrow plant, Brunfelsia pauciflora ‘Floribunda’)

yesterday-today-and-tomorrow plant, *Brunfelsia* *pauciflora* ‘Floribunda’)

Hayes Street, Fillmore to Webster, north side

8. 890 Hayes Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Canary Islands, Spain (a young specimen, having barely developed a trunk; this is the species seen on Market Street and along the Embarcadero)

9. 890 Hayes Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), Eastern Australia (intensely fragrant white flowers cycle through the year)

10. 830 Hayes Bailey’s acacia (Acacia baileyana), Eastern Australia (this is among the earliest flowering trees in San Francisco, always beginning in January)

11. 830 Hayes Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata), Madagascar (a common house plant, this will survive outdoors in the warmest pockets of San Francisco)

(12 not used)

Hayes Street, Webster to Buchanan, north side

13. 766 Hayes London plane tree (Platanus x hispanica), hybrid of eastern USA species and European species (a row of currently deciduous trees)

13b. 746 Hayes Plum tree (Prunus domestica), Eurasia California buckeye (Aesculus californica ), California; a San Francisco native tree! (about 30 yards inside this delightful garden; a deciduous tree that begins leafing out in February; flowers appear in late spring)

Buchanan Street, north of Hayes, west side

14. 700 Hayes Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), Argentina, Bolivia (several trees are on Buchanan; note the sidewalk garden planted by Friends of the Urban Forest)

**Cross Buchanan and then cross Hayes**

Buchanan Street, south of Hayes, east side

15. 699 Hayes Australian willow or wilga (Geijera parviflora), east and southeast Australia (one tree near the blue-and-black building; this tree generally prefers the warmth of the eastern parts of the city; note another sidewalk garden planted by Friends of the Urban Forest)

Hayes Street, Buchanan to Laguna, south side

16. Hayes Valley Playground American elm (Ulmus americana), eastern North America (note the vase-like shape and pendant outer branches; this tree lined city streets throughout the eastern half of the country until the Dutch elm disease virtually wiped them out)

17. Hayes Valley Playground Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam

18. 645 Hayes Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle), Peru to Chile

19. 641 Hayes Gum tree (Eucalyptus species), Australia

20. 525 Laguna Red-flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), southwest Australia (tree is on Hayes; San Francisco’s best flowering tree)

Laguna Street, Hayes to Fell, west side

21. 525 Laguna Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), Eastern Australia (several trees)

**Continue south on Laguna and turn west (right) on Oak**

Oak Street, Laguna to Buchanan, north side

22. 436 Oak Island oak (Quercus tomentella), California’s Channel Islands (a California native) and Guadalupe Island, Mexico (these young trees represent a new species introduction that should thrive in the city’s climate; also at 428 and 474 Oak)

23. 436 Oak Guadalupe palm (Brahea edulis), Guadalupe Island, Mexico (behind the wall; this species is perfectly adapted to San Francisco)

24. 444 Oak Olive (Olea europaea), Mediterranean Basin

25. 452 Oak Yew-plum pine or Japanese podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus), Japan and China (many were planted along this stretch of Oak during the 60s and 70s)

Oak Street, Buchanan to Webster, north side

26. 516 Oak Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (note the large and intensely fragrant white flowers on this young specimen)

27. 522 Oak Tree euphorbia (Euphorbia ingens), Kenya to E South Africa (quite uncommon in San Francisco)

Oak Street, Webster to Fillmore, north side

28. 634 Oak Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (last of an ancient lineage of gymnosperms)

29. 660 Oak Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), southern China

Oak Street, Fillmore to Steiner, north side

30. 712 Oak Jester conebush (Leucadendron ‘Jester’), hybrid of South African species

31. 730 Oak Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), southeastern USA

Steiner Street, Oak to Fell, east side

32. 590 Steiner Bracelet honey myrtle (Melaleuca armillaris), southeastern Australia (a City Champion; San Francisco’s largest specimen of this species!)

**Cross Steiner and head west on Fell**

Fell Street, Steiner to Pierce, south side

33. 563 Steiner Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), Eastern Australia (a row on Steiner and a few more on Fell)

**Note large specimen of holly-leafed cherry or islay (Prunus ilicifolius) above the wall, just south of 625 Steiner (half a block north on Steiner); a Calfornia and San Francisco native tree!

34. 939 Fell Elegant water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Elegant’), Eastern Australia

Fell Street, east of Pierce, north side

35. 944 Fell Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), San Francisco and California native; Baja to Mendocino, always within 30 miles of the coast (several trees above the beautiful mosaic wall, just east of Pierce Street)

Today’s walk ends at Pierce and Hayes streets, one block to the north of the mosaic wall.

This walking tour of Noe Valley’s street trees 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. One other great book on San Francisco trees, while you’re at it: Elizabeth McClintock’s Trees of Golden Gate Park, edited by Richard Turner. If you’re a tree enthusiast, buy all three books!”