Tree Walk at Seward Park

Seward Park, Seattle

“Today I have grown taller from walking with the trees.”
— Karle Wilson Baker, from 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts by R. J. Palacio

Earlier this summer when I walked the perimeter of Seattle, I passed by Seward Park without taking the time to explore it.  So I returned on Friday to see what this popular city park was all about and to walk the 2+ mile road edging the “peninsula” that juts into Lake Washington.  The city of Seattle has published a “Tree Walk at Seward Park,” and with this printout I set out to identify some of the magnificent trees in the park.  Let me take you along on my jaunt through Seward Park.

View of Mount Rainier across lake Washington from Seward Park

Row of Bolleana Poplars along the parking lot

Leaves of the Bolleana Poplar

Garry Oak

Leaves of Garry Oak

Spider web

Madrona bark. According to the city brochure, “Seward Park is home to Seattle’s largest collection of Madrona trees.

Another Madrona with peeling bark. Madronas are native to the Pacific Northwest.

Most of the trees in Seward Park are native Douglas Fir trees.

The cones of the Douglas Fir have dragon-tongue-like protrusions jutting out from the cone bracts.

Sketch of Douglas Fir cone

Leaves and acorns from Northern Red Oak

Threadleaf Falsecypress

Traffic circle at Seward Park

Blue Atlas Cedar

The clusters of the Blue Atlas Cedar look like spiky beads on a bracelet

Coastal Redwoods

Leaf litter beneath the Coastal Redwoods

Port Orford Cedar

Trail through the trees, Seward Park