There has been a lot of progress since the planting of our first tree within The Spheres in May – more than 40,000 plants now reside inside and they are almost ready for visitors.

Our team of horticulturalists sourced these plants from more than 30 countries around the world, and brought them here on journeys from botanical gardens, tree nurseries, and conservation programs that span five continents. The Spheres’ largest inhabitant – a Ficus Rubiginosa dubbed “Rubi” – was planted at a tree farm in California in 1969. Today, Rubi is 49-feet tall and has a 30-inch wide trunk.

To get to The Spheres, Rubi traveled more than 1,200 miles on the back of a flatbed truck, arriving in Seattle after a 3-day journey through California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Because of her size, Rubi had to be craned into The Spheres through a small opening at the top. We had a feeling that this journey would be something to see, so we made this video, which shows how the team was able to thread the needle and welcome Rubi home.

To learn more about The Spheres, check out @SeattleSpheres on Instagram, or visit www.seattlespheres.com. And stay tuned for updates on the grand opening.

1,200 miles with Rubi