Among the many programs at UW Botanic Gardens, the Fiddleheads Forest School stands out as a unique program for the youngest learners. With the Washington Park Arboretum as its classroom, the outdoor preschool program offers students the opportunity to explore the natural world, learn from experimenting, and practice stewardship of the environment.
Fiddleheads Director and Co-Founder Sarah Heller spent a week in Trondheim, Norway in September 2018. 

1)  Camellia sasanqua                          Sasanqua Camellia

This glossy evergreen shrub with attractive flowers is native to China and Japan.
There are many cultivated varieties of this species with the first ones being recorded from Japan around 1700. Over 15 varieties reside in our Camellia Collections.
The plant was valuable to early Japan as the leaves were used for tea and the seeds used to make tea seed oil. 

1)  Taxodium distichum                           Bald Cypress

This deciduous conifer in the family, Cupressaceae grows in marshy and seasonally inundated soils.
Bald Cypress are famous for their “knees”, woody conical projections that emerge from the soil.
The purpose of these knees is still not entirely known.  Some speculate they help oxygenate the roots or provide stability in the often loose swampy soils this species prefers. 

Our Pre-K summer camp staff has been nominated for the Governor’s Youth Employer Award in recognition of their work this year with students from YES II. Youth Employment Solutions (YES) is sponsored by the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) and the Washington State School for the Blind to focus on career preparation. YES II is a six week program that provides valuable work and learning experience to high school students. 

1)  Viburnum rhytidophyllum                     Leatherleaf Viburnum

This large evergreen shrub grows to 6-10 feet and is native to central and western China.
Fragrant creamy-white clusters of flowers emerge in spring, followed by berries in the fall that first appear red and change to glossy black.
You can view this shrub along the east side of the Arboretum Loop Trail in the Viburnum Collection. 

1)  Castanea crenata                     Japanese Chestnut

Though it is one of the smaller species of chestnut, C. crenata is still a valued food tree in its native Japan. Ordinarily the nuts are also smaller than those of the European varieties.
This specimen is located on the east side of our field nursery along the gravel path.

2)  Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. ‘Nana’           Dwarf Plum Yew

Native to the forest understories of eastern Asia, this small, evergreen shrub is known to thrive in semi-shaded places rather than in full sunshine. 

Ilea Howard is completing an internship with UW Botanic Gardens this summer. She is a student at Oregon State University where she’s majoring in sustainability and horticulture. The internship, which runs June through August, will provide her with credit hours and experience trying new things, such as driving a tractor!
Before starting work each day, Ilea puts on her work pants and sturdy hiking boots. 

The UW Botanic Gardens is a member of the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), a network of botanic institutions whose mission is to prevent the extinction of U.S. native plants. The CPC was founded in 1984 and operates the only national program of ex situ conservation of rare plant material in coordination with 40 leading botanic institutions. They maintain the National Collection of Endangered Plants with over 1,400 species represented and also conduct research, restoration, education, and advocacy programs. 

My name is Rebecca Janssen and I am an AmeriCorps member serving with UW Botanic Gardens as the Adult Environmental Education Coordinator. The day that this is posted, August 15th, is the final day of my service. I was looking recently at a little half-sheet flyer promoting summer and some fall adult education programs. As I was reading through the list, it was really exciting to realize how many of those I had been involved with – 15 of the 22 classes listed! 

1)  Corylus colurna                     Turkish Hazelnut or Filbert

The Turkish Hazelnut is native to southeastern Europe into western Asia.
In summer, edible nuts are produced inside dramatically styled husks.
The Turkish Filbert can be found along Foster Island Road, opposite the Broadmoor gatehouse.

2)  Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Sumida-no-hanabi’                     Bigleaf Hydrangea

‘Sumida-no-hanabi’ translates to “fireworks over the Hanabi River”.
This wonderful hydrangea can be found in the Centennial Garden along Azalea Way.