Trees for Neighborhoods! Applications open July 17 – August 13
Since 2009, Trees for Neighborhoods has helped Seattle residents plant over 8,300 trees in their yards and along the street. That’s 8,300 more trees working to clean our air and water, make our streets more walkable, and our neighborhoods healthier! See where the trees are planted.
When you participate in Trees for Neighborhoods, you receive:
- Help selecting the right tree and planting location
- Free trees (up to 4 per household, lifetime max of 6)
- A watering bag & mulch for each tree
- Training on proper planting and care
- Assistance applying for street tree planting permits
- Ongoing care reminders and future pruning workshop opportunities
- Tree delivery & planting assistance if you need physical help or lack access to a vehicle
- Street tree evaluations for the first couple of years to let you know how your trees are doing
It does not matter when you apply during the application period; if more applications are received than there are trees available, applications are chosen through a random lottery system to give every applicant an equal chance.
Through Trees for Neighborhoods you can receive up to four free trees. Along with the trees, you will also receive training on tree planting and care, free water bags and mulch, and follow-up care reminders.
The program is offering 13 different tree species this year. If you are planting a tree under or near overhead power lines, you must choose from one of the power line approved trees from the list to avoid future problems.
| Power Line Approved Trees
(30’ or less at maturity) |
Street Trees
(for planting sites without overhead wires) |
Yard Trees |
| Amur maackia | Chinkapin oak | Norway spruce |
| Leonard Messel magnolia | Turkish Filbert | Scotch pine |
| Ruby Vase parrotia | Emerald Sunshine elm | Mountain hemlock |
| Eddie’s White Wonder dogwood | Afterburner black tupelo | Honeycrisp apple (only 1 per household) |
| Firestarter black tupelo |
Trees must be planted at the address on the application. A free permit from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is required if planting a street tree. We will apply for a permit on your behalf, but receiving a permit is not guaranteed and subject to approval from SDOT’s team of arborists. Please read through our 2018 tree options carefully noting the minimum planting strip widths for each species if you are interested in planting a tree along the street.
If you want more help in making the best decision, you are encouraged to sign up for a free Right Tree, Right Place workshops here. Workshops will be held on Saturday, June 30 from 11 am – 12 pm at the Columbia City Library and Saturday, July 21 from 11 am – 12 pm at the Broadview Library.
If you need help making your tree selection or have any questions, we are here to help!
Lou Stubecki
Trees for Seattle Program Manager
Seattle Public Utilities, City of Seattle
206-684-3979
www.Seattle.gov/trees
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Trees for Seattle is the City of Seattle’s urban forestry resource. Our commitment is to ensuring that Seattle’s urban forest is healthy, vital, and growing.