Arborist's Report | Friends of the GAR Cemetery Park

An inventory count and inspection of all trees 6″ in diameter or greater was conducted at the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery Park. This report contains significant information on tree health and vitality.

The table below and the notes that follow include:

Plant name (common and specific epithet — genus and species)
Plant size (height, canopy width, and stem caliper — DBH, or diameter measured 4.5 feet from the ground)
Condition rating of 10%–100% reflecting current condition and useful life remaining. Higher numbers signify a better condition and a longer remaining useful life.
Specific comments pertaining to current condition
Recommendations of care

Tree Inventory

Every tree 6 inches or greater in diameter, numbered and assessed individually.

Tree inventory & condition assessment, GAR Cemetery Park
#	Common Name	Specific Name	DBH	Height	Width	Condition	Comments	Pruning	Spray	Other Recommendations
1	Red maple	Acer rubrum	3″	20′	6′	85%	Wound at base of stem.	—	—	—
2	Kwanzan flowering cherry	Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan'	23″	22′	35′	45%	CBT, suckers at base of stem, deadwood	Yes	Yes	Prune suckers from base of tree.
3	English oak	Quercus robur	25″	50′	55′	80%	Aphid infestation, deadwood, girdling root.	Yes	—	Cut visible girdling roots at rootcrown.
4	Southern red elm	Ulmus serotina	11″	35′	30′	60%	Very asymmetric structure.	—	—	Prune oak (#5) to create canopy space for elm.
5	English oak	Quercus robur	39″	80′	70′	70%	Double leader with included bark. Objects in tree.	Yes	—	Remove objects from tree. Monitor included bark. Prune to make space for elm.
6	English oak	Quercus robur	32″	65′	75′	70%	Girdling root, deadwood.	Yes	—	Cut 2" girdling root on SW side of trunk.
7	Bigleaf maple	Acer macrophyllum	34″	70′	50′	70%	Deadwood	Yes	—	—
8	English oak	Quercus robur	23″	65′	50′	60%	Deadwood	Yes	—	—
9	Sawara cypress	Chamaecyparis pisifera	13″	40′	25′	30%	Suppressed by oak #11.	—	—	Remove tree.
10	Sawara cypress	Chamaecyparis pisifera	11″	35′	20′	30%	Suppressed by oak #11.	—	—	Remove tree.
11	Red oak	Quercus rubra	32″	90′	80′	70%	Deadwood, girdling root on east buttress.	Yes	—	Cut girdling roots at buttress on east side of trunk.
12	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	30″	70′	70′	50%	Leaf miner insect damage, suckers.	—	—	Thin suckers along trunk.
13	Bigleaf maple	Acer macrophyllum	36″	80′	60′	50%	Girdling root on buttress on SW side.	Yes	—	Cut 2" girdling root on SW side of buttress.
14	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	20″	70′	30′	50%	Deadwood.	Yes	—	—
15	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	30″	90′	60′	50%	Deadwood	Yes	—	—
16	Mt. Ash	Sorbus acuparia	21″	40′	40′	35%	Deadwood, stem decay, girdling roots.	—	—	Remove tree.
17	Red oak	Quercus rubra	38″	90′	95′	70%	Deadwood	Yes	—	—
18	Douglas-fir	Pseudotsuga menzeseii	9″	40′	18′	100%	—	—	—	—
19	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	26″	80′	45′	50%	Deadwood, double leader.	Yes	—	Monitor double leader with included bark.
20	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	28″	80′	50′	50%	—	—	—	—
21	Sawara cypress	Chamaecyparis pisifera	14, 23″	60′	18′	70%	Single canopy with #22.	—	—	—
22	Sawara cypress	Chamaecyparis pisifera	20″	60′	18′	70%	—	—	—	—
23	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	24″	70′	40′	50%	Deadwood	Yes	—	—
24	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	25″	70′	40′	50%	Deadwood	Yes	—	—
25	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	30″	70′	40′	50%	Deadwood	Yes	—	—
26	Dutch elm	Ulmus x hollandica	38″	60′	50′	20%	Deadwood, tree in decline. DED potential.	—	—	Prune ivy and suckers from base.
27	Sugar maple	Acer saccharum	5″	25′	12′	80%	Wound at base of stem.	—	—	Recommend rootcrown excavation to assess girdling root potential.
28	Sugar maple	Acer saccharum	6″	30′	25′	90%	Girdling root, 18" trunk wound.	—	—	ditto
29	Sugar maple	Acer saccharum	7″	30′	25′	90%	Girdling root.	—	—	ditto
30	Sugar maple	Acer saccharum	8″	35′	30′	90%	Crossing limbs, spatial competition with #31	Yes	—	Ditto. Prune to remove crossing limbs.
31	Common horsechestnut	Aesculus hippocastanum	9″	30′	25′	90%	Girdling trunk wound, spatial competition with #30.	—	—	Remove tree.
32	Yoshino flowering cherry	Prunus yedoensis	30″	30′	50′	40%	CBT, suckers at base of stem	Yes	Yes	—
33	Yoshino flowering cherry	Prunus yedoensis	36″	30′	35′	40%	CBT, suckers at base of stem, deadwood	Yes	Yes	—
34	Kwanzan flowering cherry	Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan'	13″	30′	10′	50%	Tree leaning, no visible buttress flare, internal decay.	—	—	Remove tree.
35	Colorado spruce	Picea pungens	7″	40′	16′	50%	Declining condition	—	—	—
36	Colorado spruce	Picea pungens	11″	35′	20′	65%	—	—	—	—
37	Kousa dogwood	Cornus kousa	3″	12′	18′	90%	Poorly rooted.	—	—	Recommend regular watering during summer months.
38	Sycamore maple	Acer pseudoplantanus	16, 18, 18″	60′	60′	80%	Aphid infestation.	—	—	—
39	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	12″	60′	12′	70%	—	—	—	—
40	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'glauca'	16″	40′	14′	70%	—	—	—	—
41	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'glauca'	14″	40′	14′	70%	—	—	—	—
42	Sycamore maple	Acer pseudoplantanus	12″	50′	35′	70%	—	—	—	—
43	Pacific dogwood	Cornus nuttallii	8″	45′	12′	60%	—	—	—	—
44	Colorado spruce	Picea pungens	16″	50′	12′	50%	—	—	—	—
45	Colorado spruce	Picea pungens	15″	50′	16′	40%	Declining condition. Ski fastened to trunk.	—	—	Remove ski from tree.
46	Moss cypress	Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Squarrosa'	18, 13″	40′	45′	60%	—	—	—	—
47	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	16, 9″	90′	40′	70%	Single canopy with #48 & 49.	—	—	—
48	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	16″	—′	—′	—	—	—	—	—
49	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	30″	—′	—′	—	—	—	—	—
50	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	21″	90′	30′	70%	Single canopy with #51 & 52	—	—	—
51	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	12, 9″	—′	—′	—	—	—	—	—
52	Lawson cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	16″	—′	—′	—	—	—	—	—

No trees are recommended for removal based on current hazard potential — the “remove tree” notes above reflect individual silviculture recommendations (crowding, suppression, decline), not safety hazards. Native trees in the park include Bigleaf maple, Douglas-fir, Pacific dogwood, and Mountain ash.

Tree Count

The park’s 52 trees, grouped by type.

Tree count at GAR Cemetery Park, by category
Category	Common Name	Specific Name	Quantity
Maples	Bigleaf Maple	Acer macrophyllum	2
	Sycamore Maple	Acer pseudoplantanus	2
	Red Maple	Acer rubrum	1
	Sugar Maple	Acer saccharum	4
Horsechestnut	Common Horsechestnut	Aesculus hippocastanum	1
Cypress	Lawson Cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	7
	Blue Lawson Cypress	Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'glauca'	2
	Sawara Cypress	Chamaecyparis pisifera	4
	Moss Cypress	Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Squarrosa'	1
Dogwood	Kousa Dogwood	Cornus kousa	1
	Pacific Dogwood	Cornus nuttallii	1
Spruce	Colorado Spruce	Picea pungens	4
Flowering Cherry	Kwanzan Flowering Cherry	Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan'	2
	Yoshino Flowering Cherry	Prunus yedoensis	2
Douglas Fir	Douglas Fir	Pseudotsuga menziesii	1
Oak	English Oak	Quercus robur	4
	Red Oak	Quercus rubra	2
Mountain Ash	European Mt. Ash	Sorbus aucuparia	1
Elm	Southern Red Elm	Ulmus serotina	1
	Dutch Elm	Ulmus x hollandica	9

The Elm Trees

The elm trees growing in this park are unlike any other elms in the region. According to Arthur Lee Jacobson, who has been studying these trees since the 1980s, they are genetically separate individuals and not clones of a single cultivar.

Aside from their historic significance in their placement in this park, it’s possible that their genetics may play a role in Dutch elm disease (DED) resistance. Seattle Parks and Recreation is currently treating the elm trees for DED.

Some of the elms prefer to grow low branches along their trunks. Retaining some low limbs on these trees, rather than trimming them clean, is recommended.

Problems & Solutions

Beyond the tree-by-tree inventory, the report flagged a handful of recurring issues across the park — most of which FGAR has since addressed or now manages as a matter of routine care. Deadwood was the most common concern, mostly limbs two inches or larger that needed to come down before they could fall on a visitor; that’s handled through regular pruning. Mower damage to trunks led FGAR to clear turf in rings around the base of many trees and mulch instead, giving roots room to breathe rather than compete with grass. The flowering cherries dealt with an outbreak of cherry bark tortrix, a moth whose larvae burrow into the bark of trees in the cherry family; it’s now kept in check with a yearly treatment each October.

A few trees also showed included bark at branch unions — a naturally weaker attachment point — which the report found minor enough to simply monitor rather than treat. And young trees, especially the maples and the kousa dogwood, need supplemental watering through dry summers, while the cypress trees are better left alone in the same conditions, since extra summer water can encourage root-rot fungi they’re particularly susceptible to.

Around the Park

The mature trees this report surveyed are a big part of what makes the grounds feel the way they do.

Shaded lawn beneath the park’s mature trees.

A shaded path winding between the park's mature trees

A shaded path winding through the grounds.

The park's flagpole against a clear blue sky, framed by trees and hedge

The flagpole against a clear sky, framed by mature trees.

Sunlight through the branches of a mature tree canopy

Sunlight through the canopy.

← Back to History

The Arborist’s Report

Tree Inventory

Tree Count

The Elm Trees

Problems & Solutions

Around the Park