For this week’s tour, we return to the Mission District, a fantastic neighborhood for gardens and tree diversity. The tour begins at the corner of 20th and Alabama streets, next to the historic Felix F . Schoenstein & Sons Pipe Organs building.

The walk heads south on Alabama Street to 22nd Street, then west on 22nd almost to Harrison Street, then returns on 22nd to Hampshire Street, then back to York street, north on York to 20th Street, and west on 20th to the start of the tour, ending at the popular Atlas Cafe.

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

Alabama Street, 20th to 21st, west side

1. 3101 - 20th Snowy River wattle (Acacia boormanii), SE Australia (tree is on Alabama; uncommon in SF)

Chinese flame tree (Koelreuteria bipinnata) - biggest one in San Francisco! — Chinese flame tree (*Koelreuteria* *bipinnata*) - biggest one in San Francisco!

2. 3101 - 20th River wattle (Acacia cognata), SE Australia

3. 3101 - 20th Willow wattle (Acacia iteophylla), S Australia

4. 820 Alabama Chinese flame tree (Koelreuteria bipinnata), S China (this is the city champion for this species - the biggest one in San Francisco!)

5. 828 Alabama Locust (Robinia x ambigua ‘Idahoensis’), hybrid of N American species

6. 828 Alabama California lilac (Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’), CA native (not even remotely related of lilacs, but a magnificent specimen)

7. 847 Alabama Trident maple (Acer buergerianum), E Asia (tree is across the street)

8. 890 Alabama Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), E Mediterranean Basin (seed pods can be used to make a chocolate substitute—though not recommended for true chocolate lovers)

Alabama Street, 21st to 22nd, east side, then west side

9. 901 Alabama Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China (row of 5 trees alongside the Boys & Girls Club

10. 925 Alabama Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia (an uncommonly tall specimen)

11. 937 Alabama Flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata), Japan

12. 951 Alabama Mock-orange (Pittosporum tobira), Japan, China, & Korea (a remarkable specimen)

Please cross the street carefully.

13. 926 Alabama Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), SE USA (across the street)

14. 998 Alabama African fern pine (Afrocarpus gracilior), E & S Africa

15. 2850 - 22nd Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), E & SE Australia (2 trees are on Alabama; this tree does best in the warmer neighborhoods of SF)

At 22nd Street, turn right and head west on 22nd.

22nd Street, west of Alabama for half a block, north side

16. 2850 - 22nd New Zealand Christmas tree, pōhutukawa in Māori (Metrosideros excelsa), New Zealand (widely planted in SF where it loves the climate)

17. 2858 - 22nd Interior live oak (Quercus wislizeni), CA native (2 trees; rare in SF)

18. 2866 - 22nd Brush cherry (Syzygium australe), E Australia

Please cross the street carefully; you’ll backtrack on 22nd towards Alabama.

22nd Street, west of Alabama, south side

19. 2859 - 22nd Washington thorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) Eastern USA

20. 2855 - 22nd Red maple (Acer rubrum), Eastern USA: Florida to Canada to Mississippi River

21. 2839 - 22nd Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus ‘Marina’), hybrid of Mediterranean species, first discovered in San Francisco and many think was brought to SF during the Pan American exposition of 1915. The late Victor Reiter of Cole Valley had a hand in the introduction of the tree to the nursery trade in the 1980s - that interesting San Francisco story can be found here.

22. 2826 - 22nd Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Brazil (tree is across the street)

23. 2819 - 22nd Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Korea & Japan

24. 2807 - 22nd Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis), W & C China

25. 998 Florida Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), E USA to Mexico & C America (tree is across the street on 22nd)

22nd, Alabama to Florida, south side

26. 2771 - 22nd Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), E Mediterranean Basin (2 uncommonly large trees)

Bryant Street, south of 22nd, west side

27. 2400 Bryant Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), Mediterranean

Bryant Street, north of 22nd, east side

Century plant (Agave salmiana) — Century plant (*Agave salmiana*)

28. 2397 Bryant Brisbane box (Lophostemon confertus), E Australia

22nd Street, Bryant to York, north side

29. 2397 Bryant Century plant (Agave salmiana), Mexico (this succulent is on 22nd; it is not a tree at all, but the tall flower stalk is tree-like in form)

30. 2397 Bryant Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), E Asia (tree is on 22nd)

31. 2397 Bryant Breede River yellowwood (Podocarpus elongatus) S Africa (tree is on 22nd)

gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla) — gold medallion tree (*Cassia leptophylla*)

32. 2712 - 22nd Water gum or small-leafed tristania (Tristaniopsis laurina), E Australia (one of the top two most planted trees in SF)

33. 2700 - 22nd Lemon tree (Citrus limon), S Asia

22nd Street, east of York, north side

34. 2671 - 22nd gold medallion tree (Cassia leptophylla), S America (tree is across the street, in full bloom). This tree is undeservedly rare in SF - look at the yellow blooms (photo adjacent) - we need more of these!

35. 2662 - 22nd Yarwood plane tree (Platanus occidentalis ‘Yarwood’), Eastern North America (originated at Sather Tower, UC Berkeley)

York Street, 22nd to 21st, east side

Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia) trunk — Cajeput tree (*Melaleuca quinquenervia*) trunk

36. 2680 - 22nd Cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), E Australia (3 trees on York)

37. 983 York Evergreen pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Taiwan (this tree, and others in the neighborhood, are showing signs of fireblight, a disease that causes leaves to turn brown and entire branches to die)

38. 979 York English hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata), Europe & N Africa

39. 975 York Purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera), Eurasia (formerly SF’s most planted tree)

40. 939 York Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), China

41. 917 York Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatum), E Australia

42. 2681 - 21st Jujube (Ziziphus jujube), Middle East to China (tree is on York; very rare in San Francisco - this is one of only two we know of in SF; fruits are edible and tasty)

21st Street, York to Hampshire, south side, then north side

43. 2671 - 21st Silk oak (Grevillea robusta), E Australia

44. 2663 - 21st Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Mediterranean Basin and southwest Ireland (the ice age almost pushed it out of Ireland, but not quite!)

champak (Magnolia champaca) flower - great fragrance — champak (*Magnolia* *champaca*) flower - great fragrance

Please cross the street at the corner.

45. 2670 - 21st champak (Magnolia champaca) S & SE Asia (a great specimen of a rare tree in SF; flowers are fragrant)

York Street, 21st to 20th, east then west side

46. 891 York Mimosa (Albizzia julibrissin), Iran (2 more trees are across the street)

47. 889 York Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), Mediterranean Basin

48. 833 York Three palms from back to front, alongside the driveway: pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii), S China, Laos, Vietnam; king palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamii), E Australia (3 trees, one very slender; nikau palm (Rhopalostylis sapida), New Zealand - plus: giant bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), S Africa

49. 884 York Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), Brazil (2 trees are across the street)

50. 823 York Coppertone Indian hawthorn (Raphiolepis ‘Coppertone’), hybrid of E Asian species (new spring growth is coppery in color)

51. 819 York Rubber trees (Ficus elastica ‘Decora’), S & SE Asia

Please cross the street carefully.

52. 850 York Sweet michelia (Magnolia doltsopa), Himalayas (fragrant flowers appear in winter)

53. 844 York Northern red oak (Quercus rubra), E North America

54. 810 York Bronze loquat (Raphiolepis deflexa, syn. Eriobotrya deflexa), S China to Vietnam

20th Street, York to Bryant, south side

55. 800 York Akebono flowering cherry (Prunus x yedoensis ‘Akebono’), Japan (3 trees on 20th)

56. 2829 - 20th Ficus (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’), S Asia (a common, although problematic, street tree throughout SF)

20th Street, Bryant to Florida, south side

Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) — Mexican fan palm *(Washingtonia robusta*)

57. 2921 York Mayten (Maytenus boaria), Chile

58. 2925 York Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), E Australia

59. 2931 York Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), Mexico (2 tall palms inside the fence)

20th Street, Florida to Alabama, south side

Entire block Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), S China (tallest trees across the street, all in flower)

This tree tour ends at the corner of Alabama and 20th streets, across the street from its beginning and right next to the Atlas Cafe, now open for sidewalk seating.

This walking tour was organized by Mike Sullivan, author of The Trees of San Francisco (if you like this tour, there are 12 more neighborhood tree tours in Mike’s book), Jason Dewees, horticulturist at Flora Grubb Gardens and author of Designing with Palms; and Richard Turner, retired editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine and editor of Trees of Golden Gate Park. If you’re a tree enthusiast, buy all three books! You can follow Mike (@sftreeguy) and Jason (@loulufan) on Instagram.