You Ask: Hey, What's That Growth?

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We heard recently from Albany Patch reader Don Simpson, who was curious about a tree growing along Marin Avenue.  

• Rough gray bark that is cracked vertically

• There are about 23 of the same kind along Marin, between San Pablo and Ramona avenues (Wow, he’s been busy!)

• “Most of the trees along Marin seem to be sycamores, but there are several, particularly at the San Pablo end, that are something else, and I have been wondering for years what they are,” Simpson writes.

• He provided a handy map that's attached as an image here

Calling our urban forester 

When it comes to trees, and in Albany, we turn to the city’s consulting master arborist or urban forester, . One glance at Simpson’s map and, for Tony, it’s a no brainer.

“Those are our famous camphor trees (Cinnamomum camphora) – which used to be used as an essential ingredient for Bengay,” Wolcott says.

Camphor oil was (or still is?) also an ingredient in the street drug ecstasy, he adds.

“These trees are interesting architectural specimens; not ideal for where they are planted,” Wolcott said, explaining that the roots destroy sidewalks, curbs and other infrastructure.

“Evergreens with attractive lime-green leaves and some red leaves; very drought- and wind-tolerant; highly prized by wood-turners for bowls and other items.”

We ask Tony for a quick run-down of Marin’s other main trees. There are two predominate species, he says. And the rest is really better put in his words:

Liquidambar – styraciflua, the American sweetgum or redgum – A maple-like leaf with a heart of evil intentions. This is the street tree dominating San Pablo Avenue – very destructive to sidewalks and infrastructure; always failing with large limb-drops every storm; the fruit looks like a cat-of-nine tails, but is “so pretty” in the fall. Our only fall color!

Platanus – or simply sycamore or slyly London planetree - (Has nothing to do with London, other than the botanist who produced this cross was from there.) This tree makes me and many others cough just by looking at it; as you notice on Marin these trees never look nice due to anthracnose and powdery mildew – a fungus tree. Its only saving grace is on upper Marin where the trees are somewhat large – Berkeley has the larger ones, we have the sickly, leaning, ugly ones.

But wait, Simpson chimes in again, consulting a yellow rectangle on his map.

“I also marked some of the strange, shaggy-barked trees on the West side of Masonic below Marin, which I would like to know about.”

Our tree detective is on it. What do you think? 

Curious about any trees or other local vegetation? We'll check it out.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.