Ave. in the Richmond
Lophostemon confertus
BRISBANE BOX
LOCATION: 960–970 Haight St./Divisadero St. in the Haight-Ashbury; also 696 2nd Ave./Cabrillo St. in the Richmond
In recent years the Brisbane box has become one of the most commonly planted trees in San Francisco, and in particular it has become the favorite of the city’s Department of Public Works. It has a lot to like: attractive, dark evergreen foliage in a distinctive treelike, upright oval form; smooth, reddish-brown peeling bark reminiscent of California’s madrone trees; resistance to pests and diseases; and tolerance of wind, fog, dry summers, sidewalks, and poor soil. It is also a very low-maintenance tree—easy to prune, with no significant leaf drop, and for a large tree (it can easily reach 40 feet), it is relatively kind to sidewalks. Some people find this tree a bit dull, because its white flowers are nothing to write home about when they bloom in July and August and have no olfactory charm.
Dull it may be, but reliability counts for something in San Francisco’s harsh (for trees) urban environment, which explains the Brisbane box’s increasing popularity on city streets, as the seventh most frequently planted tree in San Francisco. Native to the forests of eastern Australia, the Brisbane box is also a common street tree in Sydney, Melbourne, and other cities Down Under.
Eriobotrya deflexa
BRONZE LOQUAT
LOCATION: Northeast corner of Frederick St. and Stanyan St. in Cole Valley; also at 316 Moraga St./9th Ave. in the Sunset
Bronze loquats are recognizable by the coppery bronze color of their new foliage, which eventually fades to green, giving the trees an attractive two-tone appearance for much of the year. The tree, which grows to 25–30 feet, has creamy white flower clusters March–May, but it often does not bear fruit. A related loquat, Eriobotrya japonica, is also found in the Bay Area (but more often in backyards) and bears edible, orangeyellow fruit 1–2 inches in length. The bronze loquat is native to Taiwan; its edible relative is from China and southern Japan. All loquats are from the rose family (Rosaceae ), which includes apples and pears, and a close examination of loquat fruits will show the resemblance to their more popular relatives.
Araucaria bidwillii
BUNYA-BUNYA
Like its close relative the Norfolk Island pine, the bunya-bunya has a distinctive silhouette. As with other members of the ancient Araucaria genus, the tree’s branches are spaced evenly along the trunk in whorls, giving the tree a symmetrical look. Bunya-bunyas are large trees, often reaching 80 feet, and mature trees develop a characteristic rounded crown. The glossy green leaves are lance shaped, sharply pointed, and spirally arranged on branches. The tree is native to the Bunya Mountains of Queensland in northeastern Australia.
Perhaps the most unusual feature of the bunya-bunya is its football-sized female cone, which looks something like a pineapple and can weigh 10–15 pounds (the record is held by a 17-pounder). The cones, which set every three years, are produced high in the tree’s canopy and can cause serious injury when they fall. Each cone produces 50–100 large edible seeds, or bunya nuts. The nuts were a food source for Queensland’s aborigines.
LOCATION: 201 Vicente St./Wawona St. in West Portal. This is one of the most spectacular trees in San Francisco, and a rare tree in the city. Also at 1818 California St./Franklin St. in Pacific Heights; a grove of five trees in the park at the corner of Hyde St. and Jefferson St. in Fisherman’s Wharf; and in front of Chez Panisse restaurant at 1517 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley.
When the cones set, the aborigines put aside their tribal differences and feasted. They headed for the Bunya Mountains, where each tribe owned particular trees. (Visitors to Bunya Mountains National Park can still see the notches carved into the trees to facilitate climbing for the harvest.)
Bunya nuts, a delicacy in Australia, are still eaten today. They can be eaten raw or roasted, and the nuts’ flour can be used to make breads and cakes.
Don’t Do This!
INDULGE me as I rant about two of my gripes concerning trees in San Francisco. The city has its share of beautiful trees, but there are times when I walk down a street and cringe. If I could change only two things about what happens to trees in this city, these would be the two:
LAVENDER IN THE TREE BASIN. Most street trees in San Francisco are planted as young trees in 2-foot-square cuts in the sidewalk, and people have a natural desire to plant flowers or other plants in the basins. Anything planted there will compete with the young tree just getting established, but plants with woody stems—such as lavender, rosemary, and ivy—are especially bad. Mature trees are not affected much, but the aggressive roots of these plants can choke a young tree by competing for water and nutrients.
AGGRESSIVE PRUNING. Why are so many San Franciscans afraid to let their trees grow? Trees are topped, or aggressively pruned, for many reasons, chiefly to keep upper branches out of overhead wires and to protect views. But I suspect many tree owners think they are helping the tree by lopping off the ends of branches to reduce the tree’s height or size, or to make the tree bushier or denser. Some plants react well to being cut back hard in this way, but most trees are not among them. Take my advice: let your tree grow, and help create a mature canopy your neighbors will appreciate.
Melaleuca quinquenervia
CAJEPUT
Of the 200-plus varieties of Melaleuca in Australia, the cajeput is the one most commonly cultivated, so much so that Australian sources refer to it as the “quintessential” melaleuca. Called broad-leafed paperbark Down Under, this tree has gray-green, leathery, 2- to 4-inch oval leaves and grows quickly to 20–30 feet. The tree’s spongy white bark can easily be peeled off in sheets and is used as a lining for hanging baskets. The yellowish-white flowers bloom in clusters from June to August, but they are not as showy as those of the flaxleaf paperbark (Melaleuca linariifolia ), a close relative that is also popular in San Francisco. The cup-shaped 3/16 -inch seed capsules form in clusters 2–3 inches long, and they can persist on branches for a year or longer. Cajeputs are well adapted to San Francisco’s conditions, tolerating poor and even salty soil and strong winds.
LOCATION: North side of 16th St. at Wisconsin St. on Potrero Hill; also Bryant St. (east side) between 18th and Mariposa Sts. in the Mission
