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Complete canopy closure
Seattle, Washington planted four rows of big leaf maples along the street and in the lawns of this campus. Trees gained tremendous size due to the almost unlimited access roots had to soil space.
Trees were planted about 40 feet apart. This spacing allowed for the crowns of individual trees to touch when they were fairly young encouraging a more natural upright form. This helps minimize maintenance needs by reducing the pruning needed to keep trees clear of pedestrians, vehicles and buildings. This is the way to develop an urban forest.
