Branch Out and Explore

Snohomish’s Historic Trees

Hoping to walk off some of the calories you just consumed at one of the many eateries in historic downtown Snohomish? Try taking a self-guided walking tour of the city’s historic trees.

Created by Green Snohomish, a local nonprofit dedicated to environmental action, the tour features everything from the flamboyant fall foliage of a sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) at 529 Ave. D to the stately giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) at 420 Ave. B.

It was the trees that attracted many white settlers to Snohomish – not for their beauty, but for their lumber. The Snohomish River provided a cheap and effective means of transporting old-growth cedar and fir to the many mills that once populated the area. The wealth generated by the timber industry helped build several of the grand homes in what is now the historic district. Wealthy families planted trees, both exotic and native, many of which still stand today.

For an abbreviated tour of the trees, start with the English walnut (Juglans regia) at 58 Maple Ave. (just east of 51 Maple Ave.) which bears large clusters of upright white blossoms in early summer. From there, make your way across First Street to admire the European beech (Fagus sylvatica), American elm (Ulmus americana), and copper beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) on the grounds of the historic Snohomish Carnegie Building. Then, walk northwest from Carnegie to Snohomish City Hall at 116 Union Ave. Built as the city’s post office in 1937, city hall is home to two giant pin oak (Quercus palustris) trees.

Want to explore more?

Join a walking tour with Green Snohomish (usually offered in the fall and spring) or download a brochure for the complete self-guided tour at www.greensnohomish.org.