Ficus

Turn left on Sanchez Street, heading north. Walk past Clipper Street. At 1226 Sanchez is a ficus tree from south and southeast Asia – the scientific name is Ficus macrocarpa.   In the 1970s and 1980s, this was one of San Francisco’s most planted trees – city planners loved it because it grew quickly and thrived, filling the previously barren streets with green.  More recently it has fallen out of favor as we’ve learned that the roots are bad sidewalk breakers, the dense foliage blocks light from second and third-story apartments, and the branches grow brittle with age.