10/11/2026
I'm generally not a fan of what urban renewal projects did to historic downtowns in the 1960s, but in downtown San Luis Obispo, I think they got something right!
These magnificent trees lining Higuera Street are Indian laurel figs, also known as Chinese banyans. Planted as part of the city's mid-century beautification efforts, they've grown into enormous, umbrella-shaped canopies that shade the sidewalks and give the street much of its character.
The story gets even more interesting when you consider the street's name.
Higuera is Spanish for fig tree, however the street was named not for a tree, but for the Higuera family, including Tomás Benedito Higuera, a Californio rancher and landowner who settled in San Luis Obispo in 1855.
Born in California in 1818, when it was still part of Spain, Tomás lived through the transition from Spanish to Mexican to American rule. His family's roots stretched back to the 18th century, and his landholdings helped shape what would become downtown San Luis Obispo.
And more than a century after his birth, the city planted a type of fig tree along the street bearing his family's name.
