Thanks to a recent revision in Kirkland’s code, you don’t need a permit to cut down English holly and other invasive trees.

Holly is one of the invasive plants that are wreaking havoc in our parks and urban forests. It forms dense thickets that suppress germination and growth of native tree and shrub species. In recent inventories of Seattle’s public forests and St Edward State Park, holly was more common in the understory than native conifers. This means that if nothing is done, holly could replace our beloved cedar and fir trees.

Holly berries are toxic to humans but loved by birds, who disperse them into forests.

If you have holly in your yard, please consider removing it – for the sake of our native trees.

How to remove holly: Pull or dig small plants. For larger trees, if grinding out the stump is not possible: Cut holly at the base and continue to cut sprouts until the stump eventually dies (this can take a while);or coat the freshly cut stump with undiluted Roundup or a stump killer. Cut sprouts and paint the cut ends as well. This article explains how. The chemicals do not get into the soil or kill surrounding vegetation.

For more information, contact the Green Kirkland Program at greenkirkland@kirklandwa.gov.

Karen Story, Kirkland