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!