Recommended Yard and Open Space Tree Species List - With Notations 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 lawns, 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 (either because they cannot tolerate compacted soils, or have sidewalk- buckling roots). 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. Size Evergreen/ Species Notes Deciduous Small - Evergreen Leptospermum scoparium Broad, low crown; pink flowers; often multi - ‘Helene Strybing’ trunked Less than (New Zealand tea tree) 20’ tall at maturity Small - Evergreen Acer laevigatum Broad crown; semi -weeping (smooth maple or Nepal Less than maple) 20’ tall at maturity Alectryon excelsus Broad crown; small red fruits. Moderate growth (titoki) speed Carpodetus serratus Endemic to New Zealand (marbleleaf) Cussonia spicata Dramatic foliage texture Elaeocarpus decipiens Upright habit; tiny white flowers; blue -black fruits (Japanese blueberry tree) Melaleuca ericifolia Broad, dense crown; covered in white flowers in (swamp paperbark) 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 fall (paperbark maple) color. Shallow roots Less than 20’ tall at maturity Medium - Evergreen Acmena smithii Dense, colorful fruits; shiny green foliage. (lilly-pilly tree) Example on JFK Drive in Eastern GGP is doing 20-35’ tall at well; fast-growing. Requires some fertility for best maturity appearance. 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. Hymenosporum flavum Upright habit; yellow flowers; fast growing (sweetshade) Michelia/Magnolia Upright habit; intensely fragrant white flowers champacaor M. x alba (fragrant champaca) Medium - Evergreen Auranticarpa rhombifolia Broad crown; orange fruits. Formerly Pittosporum (Queensland pittosporum) 20-35’ tall at maturity Cassia leptophylla Broad crown; bright golden flowers. Good (gold medallion tree) example on Cole at Hayes. Knightia excelsa Upright habit; curious reddish flowers (rewa-rewa) Metrodiseros umbellata Broad crown; showy flowers. Very slow growing. (southern rata) 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 Parrotia persica Upright habit if grown from seeds; excellent fall (Persian ironwood) color 20-35’ tall at maturity 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. (David’s maple & snake- Shallow roots bark maple) Betula utilis jacquemontii Upright habit; brilliant white bark. Fast growing; (Himalayan birch) narrow crotches. Tall – Chiranthodendron Broad crown; Tall red flowers, bold foliage texture Evergreen pentadactylon More than (hand flower tree) 35’ tall at maturity Hoheria sp. (Hoheria Upright habit; white flowers. Suckers from the populnea, e.g.) roots; very fast-growing (New Zealand lacebark)) Jubaea chilensis Feather palm; broad crown of leaves; silvery (Chilean palm) trunk; sun-loving. Magnificent specimen at JFK & Fuchsia Drive; drought-tolerant, prefers sun. Slow -growing until trunking phase, then moderate growth speed. Metrosideros robusta Broad dense c rown; showy red flowers in summer; (northern rata) slow & unusual but very well-adapted Parajubaea cocoides; Feather palm. Fast growing, sun -loving. Parajubaea sunkha or Parajubaea torallyi Quercus tomentella Native; broad upright habit; bold foliage texture (island oak) Quillaja saponaria Broad, oak -like crown; small white flowers. (soapbark) Drought tolerant Wollemia nobilis Discovered in 1994 in Australia, thought to have (Wollemi pine) been extinct and previously known only through fossil records 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 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 (Japanese cryptomeria) needles Cupressus guadalupensis Rounded crown with age; scale -like needles (Guadalupe cypress) Dacrydium cupressinum Upright habit with drooping branches. Very slow growing. Ficus macrophylla Broad crown; deep green leaves; bold foliage (Moreton Bay fig) texture. Shallow roots; creates dense shade. Livistona australis Fan palm. Slow growing in when young. (cabbage tree palm) Metrosideros excelsa Moderate growth rate; broad crown, colorful special color forms flowers. ‘Aurea’ variety has yellow flowers; several (New Zealand Christmas examples in San Francisco tree) Nothofagus dombeyi Upright rounded habit (Dumbeye’s beech or coihue) Pinus wallichiana Conical habit; long delicate needles (Himalayan white pine) Quercus chrysolepis Native; broad crown. Drought tolerant (canyon live oak) Quercus robur Broad crown (English oak) Syncarpia glomulifera Upright habit; white flowers. Drought tolerant (turpentine tree) Ficus rubiginosa Deep green leaves, rusty undersides; bold foliage (rustyleaf fig) texture. Good example at Masonic & Fell Tall – Deciduous Pterocaryaspp Broad crown; pendulous catkins and seedheads (wingnut) More than 35’ tall at Quercus garryana Native; broad crown. Drought tolerant maturity (Oregon white oak) Quercus kelloggii Upright habit; good fall color (California black oak) Tiliatomentosa Broad upright crown (silver linden) *Shaded species may be harder to source. .