170 posts in Horticulture

All About the Genus Picea

Selected cuttings from the Washington Park Arboretum, October 21, 2019 - November 3, 2019

1)   Picea orientalis                            Oriental Spruce

This popular ornamental spruce can grow up to 150 feet and is native to the Caucasus Mountains and northern Asia Minor.
This species is prized for its gracefully pendulous foliage and for the young cones which are deep purple.
A grove of these trees can be found on the northeast side of the Pinetum.

2)   Picea morrisonicola                          Taiwan Spruce

Endemic to the mountains of Taiwan, this spruce has slender, delicate shoots. 

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A Spotlight on Memorials at the Washington Park Arboretum

Selected cuttings at the Washington Park Arboretum, September 9 - 22, 2019

Over the years, numerous memorials have been developed in the Arboretum, and several plant collections memorialize individuals. The following are some memorials, and a nearby plant.
1)   Camellia japonica  ‘Oridono-nishiki’                          Foxworthy Benches

This memorial, composed of three benches in memory of Mary Hughes Foxworthy, was installed in 1961 along the trail traversing Rhododendron Glen above the Lookout Gazebo.
There are thousands of cultivars of Camellia japonica in cultivation, with many different colors and forms of flowers. 

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Late Summer Cuttings from the Washington Park Arboretum

Selected cuttings from the Washington Park Arboretum, August 19, 2019 - September 1, 2019

1)  Castanea dentata                          American Chestnut

The American Chestnut, once an important and substantial member of the East Coast hardwood forests, is now all but extinct in the wild due to the chestnut blight that likely arrived from Japan in the 1890s.
Chestnuts are sweet and edible, though hidden inside a prickly burr.
Blight resistant cultivars are still being developed in order to bring back this majestic tree. 

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Jul 23, 2019 / Washington Park Arboretum, Horticulture, News / UW Botanic Gardens Horticulturist

Rubus: Berries and Brambles found throughout the Arboretum

Image of cuttings as examples of species described below.

1)  Rubus armeniacus, Himalayan blackberry

This notorious invasive species was introduced to Washington in the late 1800s for its delicious and prolific berries.
It is often found in disturbed areas and has adapted to wet, dry, sunny, and shady conditions.

2)  Rubus leucodermis, blackcap raspberry

This species, native to the West Coast, is known for the dusty white/blue coating on older stems and its arching habit. 

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Fabulous Fuchsias: Selections from the Chilean Entry Garden

Selected cuttings from the Chilean Entry Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum, July 1 - 14, 2019

1)   Fuchsia magellanica

This is the hardiest of the fuchsia species, and the parent of most hardy fuchsia hybrids.
F. magellanica is native to Chile and Argentina and can reach ten feet in height in moist, frost-protected areas.
This and all featured fuchsias can be found in the Chilean Entry Garden, part of the Pacific Connections Gardens at the southern end of the Washington Park Arboretum. 

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Many Forms of Japanese Maples Seen at the Washington Park Arboretum

Selected cuttings from the Washington Park Arboretum, April 22, 2019 - May 12, 2019

1)   Acer palmatum ‘Beni otake’                          “Big Red Bamboo”

This linearilobum type of Japanese maple has long, strap-like lobes to its leaves and an upright-layered form.
Fall color of this maple is deep crimson and can be seen next to parking lot 11 in the Woodland Garden.

2)   Acer palmatum ’Shigitatsu sawa’        “Snipes, quacking, flying up from a swamp”

This variegated Japanese maple of the Amoenum type has a pale yellow blade, divided by deep green veins with a pale pinkish blush at the lobe tips. 

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Spring Highlights at the Washington Park Arboretum

Selected cuttings at the Washington Park Arboretum, April 8 - 21, 2019

1)   Amelanchier X spicata                          Serviceberry

This shrubby, multi-stemmed tree, native to United States and Canada, has an impressive spring display of white flowers.
We have lost a couple of our Amelanchier due to past winters; the remaining collections reside south of the Centennial Garden on Azalea Way.
Amelanchier are being planted more frequently in the urban environment for beauty and the value for wildlife. 

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“Curtain” Shrubs for the Spring Garden

Selected cuttings from the Washington Park Arboretum, March 25 - April 7, 2019

1)   Corylus maxima  ‘Atropurpurea Superba’                          Purple Leaf Filbert

This very large growing European filbert shrub is festooned with catkins before the purple leaves form, giving an impression of a pendulous curtain of 3-inch mauve spikes.
Its size can be controlled by thinning out the oldest stems in spring.
This cutting is from a mature specimen located at the service entrance to the Broadmoor Golf Course. 

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Selections from the Camellia Collection at the Washington Park Arboretum

Selections from the Camellia Collection at the Washington Park Arboretum, March 11 - 24, 2019

1)   Camellia japonica  ‘Willmeta’

This light pink Camellia is reminiscent of an apple blossom.
Will and Meta Jensen brought this cultivar with them as a seedling from Holland and the specific epithet is a combination of their first names.

2)   Camellia japonica  ‘Amabilis’

This white Camellia has impressively large single blossoms.
‘Amabilis’ is a French cultivar originating in Nantes in the 1820s. 

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It’s Snow Big Deal!

Selected cuttings from the Washington Park Arboretum, February 25, 2019 - March 10, 2019

Here’s a sampling of some of the Arboretum trees that sustained some damage from the recent snow. Luckily most of the cuttings were taking from plants that will survive!

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