By SPENCER PAULEY
THE CENTER SQUARE
(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that the city will triple the number of cherry blossoms throughout the city as part of his tree canopy goals.
Through the Seattle Office of the Waterfront, 24 cherry blossom trees will replace eight declining cherry blossoms that were planted outside Pike Place Market in the 1980’s. Eight of the trees will be planted along Pike Street that approach the market to replace the trees, which are in decline after outliving their typical lifespan, according to Mayor Harrell’s office.
The city will also plant 16 additional cherry blossom trees in a location to be determined. So far, Mayor Harrell is considering planting them across 20 acres of the waterfront.
The mayor’s office and the Seattle Office of the Waterfront could not provide an estimate for the cost of implementing 40 cherry blossom trees in the city at the time of publication. However, BrighterBlooms.com lists cherry blossom trees at prices ranging from $100 to $180. The Center Square estimates that the city could pay at least $4,000 to replace and install the 40 trees.
Mayor Harrell issued an executive order and vouched for legislation to support Seattle’s tree canopy goals last week following a recently released report that revealed that the city lost 255 acres of tree canopy from 2016 to 2021
“In listening to advocates of preserving existing trees, we weighed the [Pike Place Market trees’] declining health against a compelling vision of a new and safe corridor for the next 40 years and agreed on the importance of capturing their historical significance,” Mayor Harrell said in a statement. “The Pike Pine Streetscape Improvement project is a cornerstone in our efforts to rebuild downtown, and this commitment will ensure cherry blossom trees reach new generations of Seattleites for years to come.”
Cherry blossom trees typically remain healthy for about 20 to 30 years in urban conditions, according to Harrell’s office. The Pike Place Market trees have reached their full height, with five having already died and removed in past years, according to city arborists.
