In 1962, San Francisco resident Meri Jaye planted a redwood sapling next to her Russian Hill house on 4 Montclair Terrace close to Lombard Street. It was meant to commemorate the loss of her husband and two children, all of whom died in an airplane accident. Her husband proposed to her in Muir Woods, where redwoods are plenty. 

A lot has changed in the 55 years since. The area has filled in. New neighbors have moved in. And the sapling has grown into an 85-foot redwood tree. 

When some neighbors raised concerns about the safety of their children as well as obscured property views, giving rise to the notion that the tree could be cut down, Jaye and some others pushed forward plans to declare the tree a city landmark. 

How could a tree be a landmark? Well, according to a 2016 evaluation, “it is uncommon to find any tree of this size on a private residential lot” and the redwood “would be considered a very mature tree in a private setting.” 

Of course, the fight over the tree has gotten way more heated than any fight over a residential tree needs to get. Tears were shed at council meetings over the idea of branches falling on children. Bitter exchanges between both sides veered discussion toward the ugly. 

It all came to a head at a recent Urban Forestry Council meeting where, in a unanimous vote, the tree was approved for landmark status, making it one of only 19 landmarked trees in the city of San Francisco. The Board of Supervisors now needs to give final approval but if they do, it will officially become illegal to alter or cut down the tree unless it dies and somehow becomes a hazard to those around it. 

Long live the Russian Hill redwood tree.