street tree nursery sf

along with its epic bay and bridges, tree-lined streets make san francisco’s iconic charm.

leafy streets make a healthy and vibrant city. yet san francisco’s urban forest has been receding in recent decades, in part because of challenges in sourcing trees well suited for sidewalk living. now, the city is beginning to grow its own! the 125,000 trees currently gracing our streetscapes are about to be joined by a new generation of locally grown brethren, raised to do the heavy-lifting of a career street tree—cleansing and cooling the air and giving the birds and bees homes + livelihoods, all while braving crowded root zones.

the new tree nursery will furnish the streets with locally grown trees. the lumber from old felled street trees will either be composted or made into street furniture, closing the loop from seed to canopy to urban resource.

terrene’s botanic illustrations, vision mural, and constituent birds and leaves adorn the freeway columns and signage throughout the nursery grounds. the illustrations help set the tone for what this site will become while the trees and people grow into their new home.

here’s to the arboreal workhorses! yay trees.