There has been some debate over whether San Francisco's oldest living plant, a Leptospermum laevigatum commonly known as an Australian tea tree, should be classified as a tree or a shrub. Here is a discussion of the definitions of trees and shrubs...

Different tree species have different characteristic features. The leaves of a maple tree ( Acer spp.), for example, differ from those of a sycamores ( Platanus spp.); just as the bark of pine trees ( Pinus spp.) differs from that of...

Strong winds represent a serious threat for trees. Even relatively modest storms can leave areas with a post-apocalyptic aesthetic. Who hasn’t been dumbfounded at the sight of a mighty oak or redwood lying helplessly on its side with its...

Tree Branching: What is Opposite Branching?

Unless you spend an extensive amount of time around trees, you may not have noticed that they have different types of branching . Let’s take a look at the differences.

Depending on the tree you are...

When it comes to planting trees around your home, you want selections that won’t undermine the foundation or scrape the shingles on your roof. Here’s a look at the five best and worst trees to plant around your home.

The Best Trees

San Francisco Landmark Tree: Sambucus Mexicana

a.k.a Mexican or Blue Elderberry

Location: Bernal Heights Natural Area

Sambucus mexicana is a subspecies of the very well-known Sambucus nigra, commonly known as Elder or Elderberry, from the...

Hippophae Rhamnoides

A.K.A Common Sea Buckthorn

Hippophae rhamnoides belongs to a family of flowering plants called Elaeagnaceae. It is described as a thorny shrub found in cold-temperate regions of Europe and Asia, and it can grow up to 2...

Many parents seek to educate their children about the natural world and our place in it. While one could argue that virtually any aspect of the natural world – from beetles to mushrooms to plankton – can serve as a good starting point, we are...

Recently, we posted a quiz designed to test the tree knowledge of the general public, but, today, we wanted to share a similar quiz. However, we made this quiz for tree-care professionals (who should have aced Monday’s quiz). Scroll down to...