1)   Hydrangea heteromalla
Wooly Hydrangea

Native to China and the Himalayas.
An arborescent shrub growing to an average 10 to 15 feet.
Located in the Pacific Connections China Entry Garden, south of the shelter.

2)   Itea ilicifolia               Holly-leaved Sweet Spire

Native to western China.
Evergreen shrub, growing up to 16 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
Bears fragrant racemes of greenish-white flowers in late summer and fall. 

Originally posted July 1, 2014
An evergreen hydrangea?!!  You betcha!
There are very few evergreen vines for gardeners in the Pacific Northwest, but this gorgeous gem from Asia is  becoming more readily available and it’s simply one of the coolest flowers you’ll ever get to witness opening.
From plump, peony-like buds, they begin to slowly crack open, a froth of fertile flowers begin to form and over the course of a few days, a flat umbel “lacecap” begins to form. 

When visiting the Washington Park Arboretum on a regular basis, it is usually not evident that changes occur in both the plants themselves as well as the land forms.  However it is easy to see when you compare the photographs over a period of years.  This is particularly true when there is water movement involved.
This summer, there will be a new garden constructed near the large southern-most pond along Azalea Way.   

This month, instead of profiling a plant, we’ll be profiling a completely different kind of organism… slime molds!
In the fall of 2015, the Elisabeth C. Miller Library at the Center for Urban Horticulture held an art exhibit about slime molds: Now You See It, the Slime Mold Revelation! I had never head of these organisms and was intrigued by the art display and the amazing enlarged photographs of their fruiting bodies. 

1)  Aristotelia chilensis                    Macqui

This small evergreen tree is native to the Valdivian temperate rainforest of Chile and Argentina.
This inconspicuous white flower yields a small black fruit, and is sometimes called Macqui or, Chilean Wineberry.
This plant and New Zealand’s Mountain Wineberry (A. fruticosa) can both be found in the Pacific Connections Garden.

2)  Prostanthera cuneata                    Alpine Mint Bush

This evergreen shrub is native to southeastern Australia. 

During the first weekend in May 2017, the Master Gardener Foundation of King County held its annual Spring Plant Sale and Garden Market on the grounds of the Center for Urban Horticulture.  As I browsed the vendors displaying plants and other garden art, I was impressed as to how much has changed as well as how much is still the same. 

1)   Azara lanceolata

This large shrub is native to Chile and Argentina.
In spring, it is covered with fragrant yellow flowers.
Azara lanceolata can be found near parking lots #4 and #5 along Arboretum Drive.

2)   Cytisus x praecox                Broom

C. multiflorus x C. purgans
Pale yellow flowers are produced in axillary clusters.
Many Brooms and related plants are blooming now along Arboretum Drive in our legume collection. 

 
1)   Acer palmatum  ‘Beni-maiko’                     Japanese Maple

The name Beni-maiko means “red dancing girl”, referring to the brilliant red-to-pinkish foliage that emerges in the spring.
This tree’s current color stands out vibrantly in the Woodland Garden.
Beni-maiko has been recognized by the Royal Horticulture Society and given the Award of Garden Merit for several recent years.

 
2)   Erica arborea                     Tree Heath/Giant Heather

Erica arborea is native to Africa, having populations in the Ethiopian Highlands, mountains of Ruwenzori, and the Cameroon Mountains. 

There is a song which I used to sing all the time, “What a Difference a Day Makes”! Every day, the news is filled with stories about new plans to increase density and building heights in the city of Seattle, and especially in the University District. The University of Washington has just released a new Campus Master Plan which also increases building density and height. 

Our eleventh Arboretum Earth Day event partnering with Student Conservation Association was the largest ever with 340 total participants!
Opening ceremony speakers representing the three Washington Park Arboretum partners; Paige Miller, Executive Director of Arboretum Foundation; Elizabeth Van Volkenberg, Interim Director of UW School of Environmental Sciences (UW Botanic Gardens academic arm); and Christopher Williams, Seattle City Parks and Recreation Deputy Superintendent addressed the attentive crowd of eager volunteers of how valuable our Arboretum is to the local community and the importance of continual community stewardship.