Restoration Starts At Home
You can help restore Seattle’s urban forest by starting in your own backyard! Removing invasive plants is the first step in habitat restoration.
Invasive plants on residential property do not just degrade the landscape around homes, but also provide the seed source for the invasive plants that invade Seattle’s public spaces. Thousands of volunteer hours have gone into removing invasive species from parks, however until the worst invaders are eliminated on residential property, the seed source will continue to infest our green spaces.
What Can You Do?
Identify and remove invasive plants from your yard.
- English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, clematis and spurge laurel are some of Seattle’s most invasive plants.
- Some of the worst invasive tree species in our region include English (or cherry) laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), English holly (Ilex aquifolium), European hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), and European mountain ash (Sorbus Aucuparia). These species invade park lands and displace beneficial plants and trees. For this reason, the City of Seattle strongly recommends you avoid planting these.
- Contact King County Noxious Weeds for more tips about removal of these plants.
Rescue trees from smothering English ivy! If you find a tree covered in climbing ivy, do not attempt to yank all of the ivy from the tree's branches because you may hurt the tree. Instead, cut the vines at shoulder height and again at the base of the tree. Pull the vines away from the lower tree trunk. Then remove all the ivy roots from around the tree, creating a wide circle around the tree. Keep this ring free from ivy. The ivy vines remaining in the tree will soon die because they are no longer attached to their roots which provide water and nutrients. Learn more about removing ivy from trees.
After removing the ivy, consider replanting with one of these ivy alternatives.
Plant some trees! Native species are great, but non-native ornamental species are also appropriate as long as they are not invasive. Native species have evolved to thrive in the Pacific Northwest and generally require less maintenance. Planting native trees supports the Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds. Confused about the difference between native, non-native, and invasive species? Check out this great overview by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Need help planting a tree? Trees for Neighborhoods helps Seattle residents plant by providing free trees as well as free training in planting and care.
Replace invasive plants with healthy plants. Once you have removed the invasive weeds from your yard, replant with other types of plants to help keep the invasives from returning. Native plants are a great choice because they are well adapted to our climate, attract native wildlife, and need fewer resources to maintain once they are established. To learn more about native planting or to get tips on creating a landscaping plan, use this great resource from King County.
Other Useful Links
- Restoration in environmentally critical areas (City of Seattle Department of Planning Development)
- Native Plants (King Conservation District)
- Backyard Forest Stewardship Homeowner's Guide (King Conservation District)