Unique and Experimental Tree for Yards and Open Spaces San Francisco Urban Forestry Council Updated February 2016 San Francisco has a unique climate and conditions for trees, and our open spaces (including parks, private yards, and open spaces under federal jurisdiction, such as The Presidio) present an opportunity to plant 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 both well-adapted to San Francisco’s climate and conditions, and also 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.

Size Evergreen/ Species Notes Deciduous Small - Evergreen Acer laevigatum Broad crown; semi-weeping (smooth maple or Nepal Less than 20’ maple) tall at maturity Alectryon excelsus Broad crown; small red fruits. Moderate (titoki) growth speed Carpodetus serratus Endemic to New Zealand (marbleleaf) Cussonia spicata Dramatic foliage texture Elaeocarpus decipiens Upright habit; tiny white flowers; blue- (Japanese blueberry tree) 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 Meryta sinclairii Round headed; bold foliage texture (puka) Sophora microphylla& Rounded crown; yellow flowers S.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 (lilly-pilly tree) on JFK Drive in Eastern GGP is doing well; fast- 20-35’ tall growing. Requires some fertility for best at maturity appearance. Auranticarpa rhombifolia Broad crown; orange fruits. Formerly Pittosporum (Queensland pittosporum) Banksia integrifolia Upright habit; creamy flowers; drought tolerant (coast banksia) Brahea edulis Fan palm; drought tolerant. Single specimen (Guadalupe palm) established 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 (gold medallion tree) on Cole at Hayes. Hymenosporum flavum Upright habit; yellow flowers; fast growing (sweetshade) Knightia excelsa Upright habit; curious reddish flowers (rewa-rewa) Metrodiseros umbellata Broad crown; showy flowers. Very slow growing. (southern rata) Michelia/Magnolia Upright habit; intensely fragrant white flowers champacaor M. x alba (fragrant champaca) Podocarpus totara Brown conical habit; dark green needles. Slow (totara) growing; creates dense shade. Pseudopanax crassifolius Broad crown (lancewood) Pseudopanax ferox Columnar in youth, but rounded with age. Very (fierce lancewood) slow growing Quercusrugosa Broad crown; bold foliage texture (netleaf oak) 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) Acer davidii & A. capillipes Broad crown; striped bark; good fall color. Shallow (David’s maple & snake-bark roots maple) Betula utilis jacquemontii Upright habit; brilliant white bark. Fast growing; (Himalayan birch) narrow crotches. Parrotia persica Upright habit if grown from seeds; excellent fall (Persian ironwood) color

Tall – Evergreen Agathisaustralis Tall narrow habit; tough leathery leaves. 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 horizontalis Distinct horizontal branching; popular tree in SF (Norfolk Island pine) Casuarina suberosa Irregular upright habit; fine texture. Drought (syn. Allocasuarina tolerant. littoralis) Ceroxylonspp Elegant feather palm; silvery gray trunk. Slow (wax palm) growing. Good in lawn Chiranthodendron Broad crown; Tall red flowers, bold foliage texture pentadactylon (hand flower tree) Corymbia calophylla Broad crown; showy flowers in summer; Formerly (marri gum; Port Gregory Eucalyptus 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. Cryptocarya alba(peumo or Broad upright habit; aromatic foliage Chilean acorn) Cryptomeria japonica Conical habit with pendulous branches; fine needles (Japanese cryptomeria) Cupressus guadalupensis California Native; Rounded crown with age; scale- (Guadalupe cypress) like needles Dacrydium 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)) Jubaea 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) Metrosideros excelsa special Moderate growth rate; broad crown, colorful flowers. color forms ‘Aurea’ variety has yellow flowers; several examples (New Zealand Christmas in San Francisco tree) Metrosideros robusta Broad dense crown; showy red flowers in summer; (northern rata) slow & unusual but very well-adapted

Nothofagus dombeyi Upright rounded habit (Dumbeye’s beech or coihue) Parajubaea cocoides; Feather palm. Fast growing, sun-loving. Parajubaea sunkha or Parajubaea torallyi 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 Native; 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 Native; broad crown. Drought tolerant maturity (Oregon white oak) Quercus kelloggii California Native; Upright habit; good fall color (California black oak) Tiliatomentosa Broad upright crown (silver linden)