Winter Interests at the Washington Park Arboretum
1) Camellia sasanqua ‘Briar Rose’ Briar Rose Camellia

Clif Edwards
- This medium-sized, flowering evergreen shrub is native to Japan. Camellia sasanqua has many cultivars with the most popular being varieties that bloom in winter.
- You can currently view ‘Briar Rose’ Camellia in bloom, sitting at the Mary Hughes Foxworth memorial in the Camellia Collection.
2) Garrya x issaquahensis Silk Tassel Tree

Clif Edwards
- The Silk Tassel Tree is a medium-sized evergreen bush with an abundant winter floral display of long male catkins that are creamy white-to-light green with pink highlights.
- Enjoy the winter display of this Garrya on the southwest border of the Graham Visitors Center patio.
- This plant is a cross between G. fremontii and G. elliptica – both natives to the west coast of North America.
3) Hamamelis vernalis ‘Christmas Cheer’ Ozark Witch-Hazel

Clif Edwards
- Ozark Witch-Hazel is native to Missouri, Oklahoma, and Nebraska on the Ozark Plateau.
- Hamamelis vernalis is valued for its winter flowers on arching leafless stems.
‘Christmas Cheer’ is currently loaded with red and golden flowers, just south of the Australia collections. - The genus Hamamelis consists of three species from North America, one species from Japan, and one species from China.
4) Ilex crenata ‘Mariesii’ Mariesii Japanese Holly

Clif Edwards
- Ilex crenata is a small evergreen holly with small black berries. The Mariesii Japanese Holly is valuable in the garden for its small upright structure, slow growth, and dense foliage.
- This plant received local recognition in 2006 by being added to ‘Great Plant Picks’, a publication from the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanic Gardens.
- Visit this Ilex and others in the Holly collections on the west side of Lake Washington Boulevard.
5) Sorbus forrestii Forrest’s Rowan

Clif Edwards
- Sorbus forrestii is native to the Yunnan Province in China. The tree is named after Scottish botanist, George Forrest who is given credit for introducing the tree to Great Britain.
- The tree has a spreading habit and grows 20 feet to 25 feet in height. The foliage is pinnate with many leaflets and has a stunning fall/winter display of white berries with a dash of pink at the end.
- This plant has received the United Kingdom’s ‘Award of Garden Merit’. Visit it in the Sorbus Collection!