A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Shrubs and Trees Can you identify these trees? pics

These trees were in the courtyard of a hotel I stayed at in San Francisco last month. While there, of course I had to ask employees/concierge(sp) etc. what kind of trees planted there. No one, believe it or not, could answer that question. Can you? Take a look!




A few from the lobby.

A few from my room



I was so thrilled with the view. The pots were huge and so were those trees, even potted. I'm thinkin some type of fruit trees?

I am going to guess beech trees, but it is just a guess. Beech trees have smooth bark like that. I have seen them in England.

Considering the location, I'm gonna bet they're overgrown potted ficus benjamina and are seasonally placed by contract landscapers.

actually, if they are in sf, you wouldn't even need to bring them in seasonally. ficus benjamina would be fine in a typical san fran. winter.

Almost positive it is a Ficus, and several species are common in SF particually in a protected courtyard. It could be F. benjamina but based on the trunk size i do not think so (besides F. benjamina are more commly used inside). As Jiffymouse says the winters are very mild in SF and it is uncommon to get below 40 at any time in the year.

there is some f.benjaminas in the mall here that have trunks that are upwards of 6" in diameter. those things are huge!

i wouldn't be surprized if those were, but i agree, ficus of some kind!

Tamara, Beech trees, Hmmm. I did a google, doesn't appear to be that.
Thanks for your input!

neko nomad, ficus benjamina, hmmm. These potted trees, I think, stay put year round in that courtyard. They would need some mighty heavy equipment to get them moved out if they did move them. Thanks

jiffy and arctostaphyles, ficus also, hmmm. Wish I could have gotten a closer pic of the leaf. Thanks

Anyone else? If it is indeed a ficus, would anyone know the species?

Benjamina is the only indoor ornamental ficus I'm familiar with, and after looking at the online images of the genus, it may be the most suitable. Think Strangler Fig .. Banyan..You know-- the ones that drape their roots around the ruins at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, or strangle an unfortunate host tree.

Indeed, those trees in your photos look as though they're there to stay, and look as though they hadn't been pruned since they were placed there. I had hastily assumed that a contractor owned and rotated them.

neko nomad, I googled strangler fig & Banyans. Doesn't look like that

I also googled Angkor Wat ruins in Cambodia. That's interesting stuff. Thanks!


Okay, seems these trees are in the Ficus family. Anyone else want to guess species?

Ficus benjamina are used for street trees here and grow huge! It could very well be F. benjamina. That would be the most common potted tree for that space.

Did you stay at the Hyatt? Those pictures look familliar.

My vote is for Benjamin fig. Leaves small enough - trunk smooth enough.

Call the hotel - if they don't know, call the home office. Someone has to be in charge of buildings and grounds. That's how I got the name (25 years ago) of the flowering pear trees that surrounded the home office at Lincoln Life. They were amazingly helpful.

Stormy

to me they looked like young eucalyptus trees (I remember the look of some larger ones when I lived in the central valley there)
here's an internet shot of some young ones... http://www.lynetter.com/blogs/amherst/gum%20tree%20lined%20driveway%20at%20Cruden%20Farm%20-%20Eucalyptus%20Citriodora%20(Natural%20Planting%20-%20Penelope%20Hobhouse).JPG

M.D. Vaden, okay, I'll go with that, particularly since you are a certified arborist! Thanks

Stormysgrandma, I had already asked the manager at the hotel as well as the concierge while there and no one knew. Thanks

dan@modernblacksmith
Thanks for the link. Eucaleptas trees, now that is a thought, particularly since they are prominent in San Francisco.

Anyone else?

What do you say, ficus benja or what?