8th Ave NW tree planting today

Updated: As promised, SDOT crews were out at 9 o’clock this morning planting young, blooming Serviceberry Trees along 8th Ave NW.

Crews are working on both sides of 8th and plan to be wrapped up by 2 p.m.

Earlier:No Parking signs line 8th Ave NW between NW 65th St and NW 70th St so Seattle Department of Transportation landscape crews can plant dozens of trees. Last fall, dead Arbutus trees along this stretch were removed after they didn’t survive the 2008/2009 winter.

Dead Arbutus trees before they were removed in September 2009.

Deborah Brown, a Certified Arborist with the SDOT Urban Forestry team, tells us that 30 ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry Trees will be planted on April 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. She tells us that these trees were selected “because they are good street trees for small spaces. They are suitable under electrical wires and for a planting strip that is four feet wide. They have white flowers in the spring and orange fall color and grow up to 20 feet tall.

No Parking signs line 8th Ave NW where new trees will be planted.

Once the trees are planted, Brown tells us that SDOT will maintain the trees, which includes watering the trees for the first few summers. “The trees will be watered using tree gator watering bags, which are filled weekly and drain over about four hours and help establish a healthy deep root system,” Brown says.

There are already some established Serviceberries on the east side of 8th NW between NW 45th St and NW 46th St that have been growing for close to 20 years and are 15-20 feet tall, Brown tells us. (Thanks Dawn for the tip!)