City promises to plant new cherry trees on Pike Street

There will be 24 new cherry trees in Seattle, with some replacing the declining ones near the market.

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New signs were placed on the cherry trees to thank those who advocated for an alternative to their removal.

Photo by SEAtoday Staff

You know what they say — team work makes the dream work.

After local organizations convinced the Office of Waterfront and Civic Projects to pause their plan to remove and replace a set of cherry trees along Pike Street, Mayor Bruce Harrell issued a new executive order that will instead plant new cherry trees in the area.

Eight of the new trees will be planted along Pike Street between First and Second Avenues (where the original set was). Homes for the additional 16 trees will be decided later.

In addition, a memorial plaque will be installed to acknowledge the cultural significance of the trees to those of Japanese heritage and recognize those harmed by the US’s internment camps during WWII.

The city plans to remove the eight aging cherry blossom trees in the coming week.