Several genera at the Washington Park Arboretum are part of a multi-site nationally-accredited plant collection administered through the Plant Collections Network of the American Public Gardens Association. The Plant Collections Network is one of the most significant networks of cultivated living plant collections on Earth and is used for taxonomic studies, evaluation, breeding, and other research. The Network stewards diverse living collections at public gardens across North America to safeguard plants and share them with the world. 

Whether you’re aiming to beautify your yard or hoping to decrease your soil erosion rate, planting a tree would offer benefits beyond your intention. Trees are the foundation of maintaining a sustainable wellbeing. When you plant a tree, you are providing a new source of oxygen, introducing an efficient way to rid the air and soil of pollutants, and contributing to habitat in tree canopies for wildlife. 

1)  Chamaecyparis pisifera  ‘Plumosa Compressa’                      Dwarf Sawara Cypress

This cultivar of the Japanese native, Sawara Cypress, has soft blue-green foliage.
Growing only one to six inches per year, this 50 year-old specimen can be seen just at the entrance to the Graham Visitors Center along Arboretum Drive.

2)  Corylus maxima  ‘Atropurpurea Superba’                                   Purple Giant Filbert

This cultivar of the Giant Filbert, or Hazel, produces long red male catkins in winter before the bright red young leaves emerge. 

Fred Hoyt, UW Botanic Gardens Director and Orin and Althea Soest Chair for Urban Horticulture, has announced he will retire at the end of January, 2021. Please join us in showing our appreciation for Fred’s service and congratulating him on his retirement.

We invite you to enjoy our “Game of Groves”.
Can you name the following iconic tree groves based on the photos shown and hints below?

#1)
I am a grove of nine broadleaf evergreen trees with berries that are commonly used as Christmas greens.  My location is an “island” in the middle of the ocean surrounding our five Pacific Rim flora.  

1)  Coprosma propinqua                                       Mingimingi

Coprosma is a genus of about 90 species of shrubs and trees found in various Pacific regions, including New Zealand and Australia.  They range from trees to low-growing spreading shrubs and those with a divaricating habit.
A member of the plant family Rubiaceae, C. propinqua is found in swampy areas and near streams throughout New Zealand.  The leaves are very small and oblong and the berries are a translucent blue color. 

1)    Forsythia                                                        Common name:    Forsythia or Easter Tree

A staple of many gardens, it is a harbinger of spring with its early yellow blossoms.  It also provides some very nice fall color, extending its garden interest.
A member of the Olive family, Oleaceae.
Nicknamed the Easter Tree because it blooms around Easter time in early spring.
There are approximately 14 species, mostly from Asia. 

UW Farm Hosting “Dig In!” Fun-draiser October 28th
Every year the UW Farm hosts a Farm To Table dinner to celebrate the end of the growing season, share stories, and hear from the seasonal student staff about their experiences, ask for donations, and dine on a delicious menu featuring UW farm Produce.
This year, because we cannot hold a large public in-person event, we are hosting a virtual, live evening event 7pm-8:15pm, Wednesday October 28th with Master of Ceremonies, Eli Wheat, of SkyRoot Farm, UW lecturer in College of the Environment and one of the founders of the UW Farm. 

Rare Care is assisting the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with developing a site management plan that will help guide restoration and management of a population of Whited’s milk-vetch’s on BLM land that was impacted by recent fires.

1)  Stewartia monadelpha                                                                  Orange Bark Stewartia

Stewartia monadelpha is a small tree (up to 25 feet high) with stunning cinnamon bark.
A member of the Camellia family, the white flowers resemble those of small, simple Camellias and can be viewed in early summer.
Several beautiful specimens can be viewed at the southern end of the Camellia Collection.

2)   Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei  ‘Muskogee’                             Muskogee Crepe Myrtle

This garden hybrid was developed by the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.