1)   Schefflera delavayi                                                                 Delavay’s Schefflera

Unlike the Schefflera houseplant that may seem familiar to some, this interesting character is cold hardy and grows exceptionally well in outdoor Pacific Northwest settings. Bold evergreen leaves form an umbrella-like canopy. As the new leaves slowly develop, they are covered in tan indumentum, but eventually become a beautiful dark green. Pale yellow flower spikes reaching upwards of three feet emerge in early autumn for a unique display.

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2)   Pterocarya stenoptera                                                           Chinese Wingnut

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As a member of the Juglandaceae Family, this small-winged wingnut tree originates from southeastern China. This fast-growing shade tree provides excellent texture to any landscape with its pinnately compound leaves and pendulous catkins. New leaves and twigs have a soft, downy texture. Non-showy light green flowers appear in late spring and develop into green nutlets forming pendulous strings up to 20 inches long. The nutlets turn brown as they mature in the fall and will often remain into winter.

3)  Sequoia sempervirens ‘Henderson’s Blue’                Henderson’s Blue Coast Redwood

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• This cultivar of Sequoia sempervirens features striking blue foliage which contrasts spectacularly with its dark cinnamon-colored bark. The foliage is said to maintain its color in both sunny and shady environments and provides interest during all four seasons.
• Considered to be a dwarf cultivar, it is often maintained as a small, shrubby plant in specimen gardens, but can grow quite tall if left alone. For example, the one pictured was planted in 1975 and is roughly 35 feet tall.  You can find this specific tree tucked away in the North Pinetum.

4)  Taxodium distichum  ‘Pevé Minaret’                                  Pevé Minaret Bald Cypress

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• Here is another dwarf conifer with an upright, conical form featuring feathery, tightly-bunched foliage.
• As one of very few species of deciduous conifers, this tree shows off with a display of rusty-orange fall color before dropping its needles for the winter.
• The cinnamon-colored bark wrapped around a muscular trunk provides further interest, especially in the winter.
• This cultivar originated from a selection of chemically-mutated seedlings in the Netherlands in 1990.