The Trees of San Francisco

This book is an absolute delight for lovers of San Francisco, whether you are particularly fascinated by trees or no. The book is packed with interesting information about San Francisco's trees, and about the city itself. The suggested walking tours rank among the best walks I've taken in this city, and that's saying something. On my first walk with this book, for example, I learned that the word carat is derived from the ancient word quirat, which refers to the carob tree. The seeds of this tree are remarkably uniform in weight and were used by the ancients as a measure of weight. The walk in my own neighborhood, where I've lived for several years, pointed out several remarkable sights that I'd never noticed before. If you live in San Francisco or plan to visit soon, then buy this book. It will enhance your experience of San Francsico immeasurably.

Mike Sullivan first visited San Francisco in 1983 and was captivated by its trees: his Trees Of San Francisco provides a culmination of his interests, from natural history and tree history to walking tours. Chapters come packed with color photos and are organized by tree variety, include many unique to San Francisco, and provide both growing notes and historical background. An excellent, unparalleled focus on San Francisco's tree history.

I happened onto a copy of this book, assuming the subject might be a bit too specific for my level of interest in trees. What a blast the book turns out to be! It adds a whole new element (and in fact, depth) to appreciating the specialness that is all around in San Francisco. Engaging read; beautifully done book.

This is the perfect book if you live in the Bay Area, know nothing about the trees on the street, but are interested in learning. Mike Sullivan takes what's interesting about San Francisco's trees, and makes it accessible for the average reader. The side-bar stories are also interesting - stories about San Francisco's flock of wild parrots and the trees that they enjoy, and the "Secret Garden" in the haight-ashbury that is private and overgrown, but has some of San Francisco's most interesting trees. The book is very well written, and it's beautifully put together. I also loved the non-tree related trivia and neighborhood "color" that Sullivan introduces throughout. It's clear that he loves San Francisco as much as trees!

You don't have to be an arborist to enjoy this gem! Anyone who has ever walked or driven through San Francisco and marveled at the variety of beautiful trees that line the streets will enjoy this book. Each tree described by Mike Sullivan is accompanied by a beautiful color photograph, an exact location to check out a specimen, the history of the tree itself, and any interesting nuggets associated with that tree and the history of San Francisco (like the story of Mary Ellen Pleasant, the mother of Civil Rights in SF, who planted 6 blue gums on Octavia & Bush that are still standing tall--check out the beautiful memorial plaque below the trees). You can grab the book and take advantage of the wonderful walking tours included for several of the SF neighborhoods, or go out on a random search of your own to see how many you can identify. My 3-year old can spot a "lemon bottlebrush" even quicker than me now.One last note on the quality of the book. From the cover, to the internal design, the paper selection, the binding, the use of color--this is just a beautiful, beautiful book--that will stand the test of time as you flip through it over and over again.