Street trees are vitally important for congested, urban areas. You are most likely used to seeing San Francisco street trees on a regular basis since the city thrives to find the balance between green and urban areas as much as possible. If you have a home or business close to a street, you may want to consider planting some trees along a road. In this article, we will help you decide what would be the best street tree in your situation.
Keep reading to find out more about street trees San Francisco, their requirements, and characteristics!
San Francisco Street Trees – Recommended Varieties
1. Cork Oak
Cork oak is an evergreen tree from the Fagaceae family. It is named after its thick and knobbly dark grey bark known as “cork”. The large sections of the cork are cut and peeled from the tree during cork harvest, but the tree remains standing. This unique tree regenerates its outer bark once every 9-12 years without causing any damage to the tree.
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At maturity, the tree grows up to 65 feet in height. It prefers full sun exposure and sandy, chalk-free soil with high potassium. A bit of rainfall is also wanted for regular development. We know that Cork oaks can live more than 200 years, which is probably the reason why they are one of the most common San Francisco street tres.
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2. Lemon Bottlebrush
Lemon bottlebrush is an attractive, upright evergreen that can be used either as a shrub or a medium-sized tree. This beautiful tree has striking red flowers that are very similar to the bottle brush. However, even though the flowers are bright red, they have a lemony scent, and this is where the name originated from. This fast-growing evergreen attracts a lot of pollinators, especially hummingbirds and butterflies.
Once it hits maturity, this tree grows about 10 feet in height. It easily grows in acidic, well-drained soils and full sun or light shade. Tree services San Francisco consider it to be drought-tolerant, but regular irrigation will probably help it thrive better.
3. Grecian Laurel
Grecian laurel is an aromatic evergreen tree with a broad base and a lot of stems. The stems bear pointed, dense, elliptical leaves with a leather texture and green color. The leaves can get up to 5 inches long and they don’t have any smell until you rub them against each other. Grecian laurel is a dioecious tree with pale, yellow-green flowers and small, black, berry fruit. Grecian laurel is one of the most common street trees San Francisco, especially in areas with a lot of private businesses and parks.
Usually, this tree grows up to 60 feet in height, depending on the variety and conditions. The tree must be acclimated to the sun or the leaves will burn, so tree service California companies usually recommend planting it in areas with partial shade.
4. Bailey Acacia
Bailey acacia produces many seed-filled pods that are dispersed by birds. The tree can help improve soil and conditions of other plants as it is considered to be a nitrogen-fixing member of the Pea family. It is considered to be good for soil health, favorite among wildlife, and can also be used as a shade tree. In addition, it produces a useful dye and has a few medicinal properties.
Bailey acacia grows up to 30 feet in height once it hits maturity. This fast-growing tree prefers full sun exposure and light, well-draining soil. Bailey acacia is one of the most common street trees San Francisco, and you shouldn’t have second thoughts if you’re thinking about planting it.
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5. Queen Palm
Queen’s palm is a stately, single-trunked palm with glossy, bright pinnate leaves. The leaves create a graceful canopy, making it a very attractive palm tree that can be used along roads. In addition, Queen palms produce large plumes of miniature blossoms during summer. By winter, these flowers will mature into bright orange fruits. Therefore, this palm has something of interest to offer throughout the whole year.
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At maturity, this palm tree grows to 50 feet in height. Its trunk is branchless, similar to other palm trees. It prefers full sun exposure and moist, well-drained soil to thrive without any problems. It is fairly easy to grow this palm tree, so we recommend it even for beginners. Queen palm will definitely make your sidewalk look way better and enjoyable.
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Local Tree Experts Overview
San Francisco street trees are usually very attractive, easy to grow, and adaptable to different type of soils. Planting and growing these trees is also fairly easy most of the time, but we do recommend consulting with your local arborist. Don’t hesitate to ask about planting rules, maintenance, and even pruning to help your street trees thrive without any problems in the area!
