We’re excited to share the news that UWBG, the Arboretum Foundation, and Seattle Parks & Recreation have been selected to participate in the Central Park Conservancy’s 2022 Partnerships Lab program!

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. 

1)  Buddleja globosa                        Orange Ball Buddleja

This Chilean large and lanky quasi-evergreen shrub comes true to name when in flower.
It is now festooned with 8-10 fragrant orange ball-shaped flowers arranged in terminal panicles.
Hummingbirds are fun to watch while hovering and feeding over each “ball” for several seconds.
You can view several blooming now in our Pacific Connections Chilean Gateway Garden. 

I love woodlands. And a big part of that is I love all the woodland perennials. One of my favorite genera of woodland perennials is Arisaema. Arisaema are in the family Araceae, which you may know as jack-in-the-pulpit plants or aroids. The pulpit (known as a spathe) is a modified leaf that protects “jack” (the spadix) which contains the small flowers. 

Flowers that grow without help from the gardener can be charming, but also may try to take over the garden.

Pacific Northwest Natives
1)   Berberis aquifolium, formerly known as Mahonia aquifolium                                                                                                                                                                       Tall Oregon Grape

Native to the Pacific Northwest from British Columbia to northern California.
Its yellow flowers in April smell like honey and attract hummingbirds and insect pollinators.
Blue-black berries are edible and are used to make jam and juice. Pacific Northwest aboriginal peoples used the bark and roots to make a yellow dye. 

Learn about Paeonia mairei, a lovely woodland peony in our latest edition of UWBGatHome.

Native Ground Covers in Bloom
1)  Trillium ovatum                                                                                          Pacific Trillium

The three white petals of Trillium are always a sign of spring.  As they age, the petals turn pink.
These native wildflowers are common under-story plants in our woods.
The seeds of Trillium contain a substance attractive to ants who act as seed dispersers.
Scattered populations of Trillium bloom throughout the native areas of the Arboretum. 

Forage for greens in your backyard and learn to make a delicious pesto.

In the spring of 1997 I came across an adorable little pink rhododendron called ‘Pink Snowflakes’. It was absolutely covered with small white flowers with a bright pink ruffled edge and a tiny smattering of pink dots in the throat. I brought it home and gave it a place of pride next to my driveway. Soon after a foraging deer rudely stepped on it, breaking off two thirds of the plant.