SanDiegoTreeMap.org. Just thought I would point out this website again. This online resource is full of information about trees in San Diego, and I think this is one of THE greatest resources out there! I use it frequently on my walks to identify trees I see around town.
I’m not sure how they figure all of this out, but it’s impressive. City governments and a few other agencies have done the bulk of the work inputting trees, but you can sign up and add a tree to the list, or just add information to existing trees already on the site. Pictures can be uploaded, too. I added the Deodur cedar tree in my front yard to the map.
When you log onto the site, you can search for trees by species, or you can search by particular address. The site show 332,010 trees input in the system as of today. There is value in those trees! The site states the value in dollar amounts for the different benefits that our trees bring to our community including the following:
- 24,621,928 lbs CO2 reduced
- 60,826 lbs pollutants reduced
- 10,996,793 kWh conserved
Anyway, who really needs a reason to plant a tree? Just do it!!!
“The tree remains, but not the hand that planted it.” – Irish saying
Orchid trees (Bauhinia variegata) are in bloom all over town. Usually, they are pink flowered, but I’ve spotted some white ones around town as well.
These trees are native to Southeast Asia, from southern China to India and Pakistan, and seem to have acclimated well to San Diego’s coastal climate. They can grow to about 30 feet high.
Beautiful flowers and interesting leaves!
Here’s the biggest orchid tree I could managed to find in town. This one is about 30 feet tall and wide.
I was in Balboa Park on Friday and spotted these beauties along Park Boulevard. ‘Wow’ is an understatement! Tabebuia impetiginosa, aka Trumpet Tree or Purple Tabebuia, is not native to the US and has a very limited growing area here. Read more about this beautiful tree….
Is it me, or is this a particularly good year for the Evergreen Pear? My neighbor’s tree started blooming last week and -boom!- there it stands in its beautiful white glory! The Evergreen Pear (Pyrus kawakamii) is native to Taiwan, but grows all over the place. It’s a medium sized tree that can grow to 30′. They also do well as an espaliered tree. This tree looks good in a variety of gardens from cottage gardens, or Zen/Japanese, to Mediterranean-styled gardens.
The big downside to the tree is that it is particularly susceptible to a disease called Fire Blight which, as you can see in the picture below, kills the tree effectively. Bummer….
I was at a garden club meeting last week, listening to fellow Master Gardener Mo Price speak about Australian plants. She’s a great speaker and a lot of fun, by the way, if you are in need of a speaker for your group! Anyhoo, she had a list of plants that she worked her way through in the talk, and when she got to the Firewheel Tree, a shout-out came from the audience. My friend, Carvill, garden club member and also a fellow Master Gardener, is a very observant person. She said that she knows where one of these trees grows on Coronado and that its blooms are spectacular. She gave us all the location, at the corner of Isabella and E Avenues. Well, I walk past there all the time, and it just didn’t ring a bell for me. So, of course, I took a walk that afternoon, and sure enough, there it was. So, thank you to Carvill – again – for noticing things that the rest of us typically just blow past.
The tree isn’t anything spectacular to look at, but get underneath and look up.
Incredible flowers! It’s a member of the Protea family – I can see why!
Peek-A-Boo! How many times have I walked past this tree and never noticed? 
Stenocarpus sinuatus – Firewheel Tree aka White Beefwood, Queensland Firewheel Tree, Tulip Flower, White Oak and White Silky Oak is native to Australia. It can grow 30-40 feet high. It likes full sun, likes to be watered regularly but don’t overwater. It grows in the rainforests so it likes consistently moist soil. Obviously, we’re not a tropical zone, but growing in the parking strip, it probably gets regular water which keeps it happy enough.
Physically, I’m home, but I still have photos from the vacation that I want to share, so today’s tree is on the island of Molokai. This is an Autograph Tree, Latin name – Clusia rosea, aka Signature Tree, Pitch Apple, Scotch Attorney, Balsam Apple or Monkey Apple. This particular tree grows at the beach where we swim. Tough little tree, and I typically look over it because there is nothing really intriguing about it, until you get close, that is.
The name of the tree comes from the fact that you can scratch the leaves and it will scar, producing a permanent mark on the leaf. I thought this leaf was done artistically.
Here’s a romantic momento. Maybe Monelle and Lyman were sitting in the tree……
And there is always a wise guy, although I have to admit, it made me laugh!
I hadn’t see the fruit before. I think the stages are quite dramatic and the dried pods on the end are a designer’s dream.
These trees aren’t native to Hawaii, and can be on the invasive side. They grow at sea level up to 2,000 feet, and can get as tall as 60 feet, but usually only get about half that size. They have a high tolerance to salt so that would explain the fact that this tree is practically growing at the water’s edge. They are native to the Caribbean. The fruit is poisonous and the sap from the tree can induce vomiting so, handle with care! When you stand back from the tree, it looks a lot like a magnolia tree, but they are not related. ’Olu’olu kumula’au aka Nice Tree!
Remember this tree last month? It had a sign on it, daring people to climb. Now it’s all duded up for the holidays. Someone loves this tree.
