Uncommon and Special to Promote Diversity in Yards, Parks, and Open Spaces San Francisco Urban Forestry Council Updated August 2016 San Francisco has a unique climate with multiple microclimates, where our open spaces (including parks, private yards, and open spaces under federal jurisdiction, such as the Presidio) present an opportunity to a wide variety of trees that are not yet common here. Many of these trees are not well suited as street trees, because they cannot tolerate compacted soils or their canopies or root systems cannot easily adapt to fit within street-side infrastructure. The following list of trees are considered well-adapted to San Francisco’s climate and conditions, but are under-represented in our open spaces. They present an opportunity for experimentation and improving San Francisco’s urban forestry diversity. Though some of these species may be difficult to find, the Urban Forestry Council recommends considering these species to add diversity to the urban forest. To view many of these trees in person, visit the plant collections at the Botanical Gardens at Strybing Arboretum.

Size Evergreen/ Species Notes Small - Evergreen Acer laevigatum Broad crown; semi -weeping (smooth or Less than 20’ maple) tall at maturity excelsus Broad crown; small red . Moderate (titoki) growth speed serratus Endemic to (marbleleaf) Cussonia spicata Dramatic foliage texture Elaeocarpus decipiens Upright habit; tiny white ; blue - (Japanese blueberry ) black fruits Leptospermum scoparium Broad, low crown; pink flowers; often ‘Helene Strybing’ multi-trunked (New Zealand tea tree) Melaleuca ericifolia Broad, dense crown; covered in white (swamp paperbark) flowers in early summer; attractive whitish peeling bark sinclairii Round headed; bold foliage texture (puka) Sophora microphylla & Rounded crown; yellow flowers Sophora tetraptera. (kowhai) Pittosporum erioloma (Lord Upright, irregular pagoda shape Howe Island Pittosporum)

Vitex lucens Broad crown; reddish flowers (New Zealand chaste tree) Small - Deciduous Acer griseum Broad crown; reddish peeling bark; good (paperbark maple) fall color. Shallow roots Less than 20’ tall at maturity

Medium - Evergreen Acmena smithii Dense, colorful fruits; shiny green foliage. Example on (lilly-pilly tree) JFK Drive in Eastern GGP is doing well; fast-growing. 20-35’ tall at Requires some fertility for best appearance. maturity Auranticarpa Broad crown; orange fruits. Formerly Pittosporum rhombifolia (Queensland pittosporum) integrifolia Upright habit; creamy flowers; drought tolerant (coast banksia) Fan palm; drought tolerant. Single specimen established (Guadalupe palm) on north side of JFK just west of intersection with Kezar Drive. Slow growing, sun or shade. Cassia leptophylla Broad crown; bright golden flowers. Good example on (gold medallion tree) Cole at Hayes. Hymenosporum flavum Upright habit; yellow flowers; fast growing (sweetshade) excelsa Upright habit; curious reddish flowers (rewa-rewa) Metrodiseros umbellata Broad crown; showy flowers. Very slow growing. (southern rata) Magnolia champaca (joy Upright habit; intensely fragrant white flowers perfume tree) or Magnolia x alba (fragrant champaca) Brown conical habit; dark green needles. Slow growing; (totara) creates dense shade. crassifolius Broad crown (lancewood) Columnar in youth, but rounded with age. Very slow (fierce lancewood) growing Quercus rugosa Broad crown; bold foliage texture (netleaf ) Medium - Deciduous Acer buergerianum Broad crown; good fall color. Shallow roots (trident maple) 20-35’ tall at maturity Acer campestre Broad crown; yellow fall color. Shallow roots (hedge maple) (David’s Broad crown; striped bark; good fall color. Shallow roots maple) & (snake-bark maple) Betula utilis var. Upright habit; brilliant white bark. Fast growing; narrow jacquemontii crotches. (Himalayan ) Parrotia persica Upright habit if grown from ; excellent fall color (Persian ironwood)

Tall – Evergreen australis Tall narrow habit; tough leathery . Very slow (New Zealand kauri) growing, but faster than A. robusta More than 35’ tall at Agathis robusta Tall narrow habit; tough leathery leaves. Very slow maturity (Queensland kauri) growing Araucaria h eterophylla Distinct horizontal branching; popular tree in SF (Norfolk Island ) Casuarina suberosa Irregular upright habit; fine texture. Drought tolerant. (syn. Allocasuarina littoralis) Ceroxylon spp . Elegant feather palm; silvery gray trunk. Slow growing. (wax palm) Good in lawn Chiranthodendron Broad crown; Tall red flowers, bold foliage texture pentadactylon (hand tree) Corymbia calophylla Broad crown; showy flowers in summer; Formerly (marri gum; Port Eucalyptus Gregory gum) Corymbia maculata Broad upright habit; attractive bark. Formerly (spotted gum) Eucalyptus; fast-growing Corymbia pauciflora Broad upright habit; attractive silvery white bark. (snow gum) Formerly Eucalyptus; fast seedling growth; plant young. alba Broad upright habit; aromatic foliage (peumo or Chilean acorn) japonica Conical habit with pendulous branches; fine needles (Japanese cryptomeria) guadalupensis California N ative ; Rounded crown with age; scale -like (Guadalupe cypress) needles cupressinum Upright habit with drooping branches. Very slow growing. Ficus macrophylla Broad crown; deep green leaves; bold foliage texture. (Moreton Bay fig) Shallow roots; creates dense shade. Ficus rubiginosa Deep green leaves, rusty undersides; bold foliage (rustyleaf fig) texture. Good example at Masonic & Fell Hoheria sp. (Hoheria Upright habit; white flowers. Suckers from the roots; populnea, e.g.) very fast-growing (New Zealand lacebark) chilensis Feather palm; broad crown of leaves; silvery trunk; (Chilean palm) sun-loving. Magnificent specimen at JFK & Fuchsia Drive; drought-tolerant, prefers sun. Slow-growing until trunking phase, then moderate growth speed. Livistona australis Fan palm. Slow growing when young. (cabbage tree palm) excelsa Moderate growth rate; broad crown, colorful flowers. special color forms ‘Aurea’ variety has yellow flowers; several examples in (New Zealand Christmas San Francisco tree)

Metrosideros robusta Broad dense crown; showy red flowers in summer; slow (northern rata) & unusual but very well-adapted dombeyi Upright rounded habit (Dumbeye’s or coihue) Parajubaea cocoides Feather palm. Fast growing, sun -loving. (Quito palm) Pinus wallichiana Conical habit; long delicate needles (Himalayan white pine) Quercus chrysolepis San Francisco Native; broad crown. Drought tolerant (canyon live oak) Quercus robur Broad crown (English oak) Quillaja saponaria Broad, oak -like crown; small white flowers. Drought (soapbark) tolerant Quercus tomentella California N ative ; broad upright habit; bold foliage (island oak) texture Syncarpia glomulifera Upright habit; white flowers. Drought tolerant (turpentine tree) Wollemia nobilis Discovered in 1994 in Australia, thought to have been (Wollemi pine) extinct and previously known only through fossil records Tall – Deciduous Pterocarya spp . Broad crown; pendulous catkins and seedheads (wingnut) More than 35’ tall at Quercus garryana California N ative; broad crown. Drought tolerant maturity (Oregon white oak) Quercus kelloggii California N ative ; Upright habit; good fall color (California black oak) tomentosa Broad upright crown (silver linden)