As part of Urban Forestry’s fall BTG plantings, our crews recently completed a restoration planting along W Dravus Street, in Interbay. The trees being replaced were Blieranna plums, many of which had died due to environmental stress and a foliar fungus that causes severe leaf drop. As a result, the vibrant display of pink blossoms in the spring has been greatly diminished.
Instead of planting the same species with the same issues, Urban Forestry has provided another species that maintains similar characteristics to the plums, but is not susceptible to the same fungus that has plagued the other trees. The new species is Royal Burgundy Cherry. While they do not grow quite as large as the plums, they maintain an abundance of double pink flowers in the spring, along with burgundy foliage the rest of the year. Unlike the plums, the leaves of these cherries will turn a fiery red in the fall, adding to their appeal.
While SDOT does not do a wholesale removal and replacement of species that are susceptible to insects or disease, alternate species are often used as replacements when those trees die. On Dravus St, the residents were all supportive of the shift in species and are looking forward to the full display of pink blossoms in the spring.
Interested to see what they look like? Head over to W Dravus St between 15th Avenue W and 11th Avenue W. There are 24 new cherry trees on that stretch alone!