Presumably this is the Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park. Locally native Santa Lucia fir should be one of the more handsome and impressive conifers in collections there, when I have visited they certainly were. One shown here now has some kind of leaf blight or visually similar problem.

I had a nice one going here that was destroyed when part of the sewer line to the house was replaced. Another, in the nearby Seattle arboretum was 87' tall a few years ago.

Thanks for the photos. Are the last two photos that of a dawn redwood?

Did you happen to see an alerce? (fitzroya cupressoides) I have always been interested in the great South American conifer, alerce.

Yep, last two are Dawn Redwood; the other two just before without a tag are Giant Sequoia, cultivar 'Pendula'.

The Callitris macleayana is in juvenile foliage; adult foliage is scale-like.

Resin

"Yep, last two are Dawn Redwood."

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. The second to last one is actually a giant sequoia. In San Francisco They get this weird, elf-house looking appearance, probably due to the chilly, foggy climate. They stay rather short but grow out. There are some trees on 25th and Harrison that are as wide around as a car but probably only eighty years old. They're not that tall but they're great climbing trees.

The one above that IS a dawn redwood, supposedly from the original batch that Chaney brought over from china in the forties. It, too, is not as tall as it "should" be, but is rather really wide around. The head of the arboretum told me that the Chinese guy who discovered these dawn redwoods seventy years ago actually came by the arboretum a few years ago and made a note of how odd they grow in the san francisco climate compared to china. Ironically, I guess the guy was more interested in some sort of bamboo that the arboretum had than the trees that he helped discover, which is kind of funny.

As for Alerce, the arboretum has some but they're young and I don't believe they're in the ground yet, They're still in the juvenile nursery. they've got two wollemis, too and a plethora of other rare plants. If you ever make it out this way you should stop in and ask for Don, he's really great. He's kind as hell and knows everything.

Totally great pictures, thanks for posting them and the info!

Second to last is a Sequoiadendron??? It looks more like a Metasequoia. The last photo looks like Sequoiadendron.

osprey

Yep, my mistake - last one is Sequoiadendron, not Metasequoia. Too much scrolling up'n'down and not looking where I was at!

Resin

Resin, you were behind the at. A dangling preposition.:>)

Dave

Does the S.F. arboretum have any bald cypress, taxodium distichum?

Wonder how they would do in the S.F. climate?

What used to be Strybing Arboretum is now San Francisco Botanical Garden (at Strybing Arboretum). There is no San Francisco Arboretum.

It's different now up here, too. The Washington Park Arboretum etc. have become components of the new University of Washington Botanic Gardens.

Here is a link that might be useful: San Francisco Botanical Garden

"What used to be Strybing Arboretum is now San Francisco Botanical Garden (at Strybing Arboretum). There is no San Francisco Arboretum."

Who the hell cares? This is petty. IT doesn't matter. It's an arboretum IN san francisco. I'm not writing a report on the place. I'm not trying to get into specifics when 90% of the people on this board aren't going to care or know the difference. Let's keep the conversation relevant. How about those athrotaxis?

Also, just found out they have a pretty healthy looking sciadopitys and two young fitzroyas (about eight feet tall), though you'll have to ask to see these as they're behind a fence and haven't been planted out yet.

The SAN FRANCISCO ARBORETUM (that is, THE ARBORETUM IN SAN FRANCISCO) is located on 9th avenue and lincoln in golden gate park and is totally free and worth going to.

"How about those athrotaxis?"

They should be able to grow all three easily there.

Resin

Oh I am soo vacationing in Frisco next year and visiting this place. I'll just call it the San Fran "Tree Zoo". :) Thanks for the pictures

Finally! A reason to visit San Francisco! :)
(Sorry, couldn't resist a little Nor Cal hazing!)

Great pics! Thanks!

Josh

ALso, for any who might be concerned, there is also a eucalyptus regnans, the tallest flowering tree in the world, at the SF arboretum. It's not a conifer, but...

And...they've got a ton of trees and plants for sale and very decent prices. PRetty cheap. I bought a four foot tall bald cypress for eight bux.

Yo negro, that's a tight place. I'd go but only No. Cal.! beckons me. Yo....

Dax

Very interesting Sequoiadendron G. pics! I've always wondered about their adaptation/appearance growing inside the Coastal Redwood range. Do you have any crown pics?