The Population of Trees in Seattle

There are approximately 4.35 million trees in Seattle. Photo by Charles Tansley

The answer to a question that first appeared in my mind in the late part of a long night: There are 4.35 million trees in Seattle. Wikipedia's estimate of humans in the city is just above 650,000.

We live in a big city (people), but we live in an even bigger forest (trees). And as the great writer Jonathan Raban once pointed out to me, the forest dominates the day with its green leaves and the city the night with its lights.

Of those, there are approximately 130,000 street trees. Photo by William Bankes

Back in 2013, Seattle was named one of the 10 best cities for trees in America. And in our massive and much-admired urban forest, there are no fewer than 130,000 street trees.

Twenty-one percent of these street trees are flowering cherries and plums. One fifth, maples. There are also lots and lots of sexy trees in our city. The tulip poplar in Leschi Park was recently voted the most handsome tulip poplar in town...

But that's enough about trees for now. It's time to think of other things.