Dear Editor,

I wanted to add a note to your “Dying Trees on Eighth Avenue” June 3 story. It is important to know that the Arbutus trees on Eighth Avenue are Arbutus x marina, which is not a reliably hardy species of Arbutus in our area.

Although I recently chatted with a lady who, due to this winter, lost one she had in her garden for fifteen years. We still have to think of it as a “marginal” tree and agree to take our chances.

Planting Arbutus unedo or the smaller form, Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ is a better choice since they are both hardy to Zone 4 (0 degrees at its worst), while Arbutus x marina is hardy only at the “upper end” of Zone 8.

With fewer and fewer trees in Seattle’s urban canopy due to continued topping of trees for power lines and views and removal for new construction, it is important that the City of Seattle only choose the hardiest species for street plantings. I hope they will do so in future.

Toni Cross, CPH
Seasonal Color Pots
Beauty in Small Spaces