At first glance, Decaisnea insignis isn’t a particularly striking shrub; growing between 10-15 feet high, its pinnately compound leaves arch away from the thick, central branches of the plant. It flowers in June, with long strings of dangling greenish flowers that can be hard to notice, blending with the yellows and greens of the rest of the plant.
What does make you look twice at this plant, though, are the fruits that ripen in the fall between September and early November: thick, blueish bean-like pods dangle where the flowers were, giving this plant its common names: Dead Man’s Fingers, or Blue Bean Tree. 

Meet Arturo Zazueta, horticulturist at the Washington Park Arboretum!

One of the many gems in our oak collection is Quercus graciliformis, Slender Oak or Chisos Oak, which is endemic to a very limited area in the Chisos Mountains in western Texas. Read on to learn about how the Washington Park Arboretum participates in tree conservation and research, particularly in the case of oaks, maples, magnolias, and hollies.

Scientific Name: Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’
Common Name: Corkscrew rush
Family: Juncaceae
Native Range (of Juncus effusus): Throughout North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The straight species of corkscrew rush, Juncus effusus, has a plethora of common names – including common rush and soft rush – and can be found in temperate climates all over the globe. Juncus is hardy in USDA zones 1-11. 

Ilex vomitoria may not be much to look at, but dig just a little deeper to learn its interesting story!

Meet our spring intern, Amanda Fairbanks, as she learns and grows with the horticulture staff at the Arboretum!

Sit in on one of the horticulture staff’s check-in meetings and you’ll quickly notice Kathleen Glasman because she’s game for everything: another team member needs some help running a volunteer opportunity in the Arboretum? She raises her hand. Someone else needs help clearing brush out of their area? She’s available and ready to help. She’s been in the horticulture game for more than 30 years, and her expertise shines through whenever you talk to her. 

Skunk cabbage is a sure harbinger of spring in the maritime Northwest.  Among the earliest native species to flower, its bright color, large size and local abundance are easy to spot and promise warmer days ahead after the long dark of winter.

Lincoln Erbeck’s humor and joy contrast with the technical and often dangerous nature of his work. As a climbing arborist and horticulturist at the UW Botanic Gardens, Lincoln is not just responsible for the health of trees in the Washington Park Arboretum — he plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of the people who visit. And he does this all with a big smile on his face. 

If you visit the grove of Sycopsis at the Pacific Connections Garden along Arboretum Drive this February you will be in for a treat – the flowers, while not showstoppers individually, are blooming in incredible quantity this winter.