Trees for Neighborhoods

The 2011 Trees for Neighborhoods program was a great success! The program provided 1,000 trees to residents of the City of Seattle for planting in their yards and planting strips. Altogether, we gave out 75 fruit trees, 400 small trees, and 525 medium to large trees.

Participants attended a workshop on how to properly plant and care for their young trees and received free watering bags, coupons for free compost, and educational materials providing information about tree planting and care. Thanks to everyone who played a part in carrying out the program!

Check back in 2012 for information about next year’s Trees for Neighborhoods program.

If you have questions about the program after reading the information on this page, please contact TreesforNeighborhoods AT seattle.gov or call 206-615-1668.

Jump to:
Available Species
Program Rules
Things to Consider when Selecting Trees
2011 Program Dates
Consider Planting a Large Tree

The Trees for Neighborhoods program helps Seattle residents plant trees in their yards and along their streets. Participants in the program receive:

• Free trees
• Watering bags
• Training on proper planting and care
• Coupon for free Groco compost
• Ongoing care reminders and workshop opportunities

Available Species

Program Rules:

• Trees can be planted anywhere in residential yards, but must be planted at the address on the application.
  
• Permits are required if planting street trees – reLeaf staff will coordinate acquiring permits. Receiving a permit is not guaranteed. No permit is required for yard trees.
  
• You must be present at the planting training to pick up your tree(s). All trees should be planted shortly after receiving them.
  
• The number of trees approved for your yard may be fewer than the number requested. Please note that tree availability is not guaranteed.

• If you do not own your home, you must obtain the permission of the homeowner.
  
• Tree supply is limited and applications will be accepted on a first come first served basis, so apply early!

Things to Consider When Selecting Your Tree(s):

• To avoid future problems, trees must be planted at least 5 ft. from underground utility lines, 10 ft. from power poles, 20 ft. from street lights or other trees, and 30 ft. from a corner curb. To make sure your site meets minimum distance requirements, identify any underground utilities that may impact the location of your trees BEFORE you submit this application.
  • To identify where your sewer lines are, click here.
  • To identify where your other underground utilities are, call the utility locator service at 800-424-5555. This service does not mark sewer lines. Indicate that you have a "pre-planning locate request," and that you will not be digging right away, but need the sites marked BEFORE you submit your application. A representative from each utility will come out to mark the locations of their buried lines near your site. For more information, including color codes, visit the Utility Notification Center.
    
• Do not plant a tall tree under power lines. Trees planted under power lines should reach a maximum of 20’ at maturity or the safety of the power lines will be compromised.

• Take time to evaluate sites on your property where trees can fit. The survival and health of the tree depends on how well it is suited to the spot that you plant it. Consider: placement (is there enough space for this tree when it grows up?), light, moisture, and type of soil.

• Many of these trees will get big! Read descriptions carefully and envision what the tree will look like in 30+ years. Larger trees provide greater benefits to your neighborhood and our environment than smaller trees. They control more water, provide more shade in the summer, breathe in more carbon dioxide and breathe out more oxygen than smaller trees. For these reasons, the City of Seattle recommends planting larger trees whenever appropriate.

• All trees are 5 gallon sized container trees, with the exception of the Asian pear, which is a 10 gallon container tree.

• Your young trees will not survive the dry summer without you giving them water and care! Water bags will be provided to help you water the trees in the summer.

2011 Program Dates:

August 8 - Application period opens.

September 1 - Street tree applications due; applications for yard trees still accepted

October 24 - Deadline for all applications

October 30, Carkeek Environmental Learning Center
OR November 12, NEW LOCATION: Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands - Attend a planting and care workshop and pick up your trees! Get directions here

Consider Planting a Large Tree!

Large trees provide greater benefits to the community than do small trees, reducing stormwater runoff, filtering air pollution and providing shade to cool summer temperatures. The National Tree Benefits Calculator estimates that the value of the annual benefits provided by a 30-inch magnolia is $99 versus $262 for a Douglas fir.

Because of the greater benefits large trees provides, we encourage you to plant the largest tree suitable for the site you have chosen. Only small trees should be planted under power lines.