“Scratch and Sniff”

1)  Abies amabilis (Pacific Silver Fir)

• Pacific Northwestern native growing up to 250 feet tall in the wild, but is often short-lived in gardens.
• Its crushed needles smell like orange peel.
• The easiest of the Arboretum specimens to find is on the Upper Trail below the Peony bed.

2)  Cupressus goveniana var. pygmaea (Mendocino Cypress)

• The “pygmy” stature occurs in this tree’s native habitat: infertile ancient sand dunes above the Pacific Ocean near Mendocino. In normal soil, it can exceed 100 feet.
• The crushed needles smell like lemon peel.
• It is located on Arboretum Drive near the south end.

3)  Laureliopsis philippiana

• Native to Chile and Argentina.
• Crushed leaves smell like orange.
• It is located in the Pacific Connections Entry Garden and on Arboretum Drive in grid  9-4E.

4)  Morella pensylvanica (Bayberry)

• Formerly Myrica, native to the east coast of North America from Canada to Florida.
• The fragrant, waxy berries were made into candles.
• Located in 43-B in the Arboretum’s Oak Collection.

5)  Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir)

• For Northwesterners, this is the essential smell of Christmas in the winter and the forest in summer.  It is native to the North American west coast and self-sows freely in the Arboretum.