City of Seattle Offering Four Free Trees Per Household

The City of Seattle, through the reLeaf Program, is offering up to four free trees per household.

Applications to participate are due no later than Monday, December 6th.

In addition to receiving four trees, participants will also be given watering bags, a bag of GroCo compost, and training on proper tree planting and care.

And according to the releaf website, the best time for planing trees is now with all the rain. Here are some tips for planting trees and which to select.

 

According to the reLeaf website, "planting trees is a great way to lower your carbon footprint. An average city tree will absorb about a ton of harmful carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Urban trees also help keep our water clean, our air breathable, provide habitat for birds and other wildlife and make Seattle a vibrant place to live and work."

To participate you must meet these guidelines:

• Live in Seattle, and plant the tree on your property (renters must have their landlord's permission)
• Plant the trees in your yard, and not as street trees
• Do not plant the trees under power lines (these are large trees that will eventually grow into the lines)
• Commit to caring for the tree in the future, including watering for the first 3 summers

 

Some available trees are:

 

1. Shore pine (Pinus contorta ‘Contorta’)
2. Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
3. Red oak (Quercus rubra)
4. Western red cedar (Thuja plicata ‘Excelsa’)
5. Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

You can fill out the application here.

 

For questions contact Jana Dilley with
Seattle reLeaf at jana.dilley@seattle.gov
or call 206-615-1668.