469 posts in Washington Park Arboretum

Aug 7, 2025 / Washington Park Arboretum, Plant Profiles, Horticulture / Joanna Long, Manager of Horticulture at the Washington Park Arboretum

August Plant Profile: Quercus graciliformis

Quercus graciliformis foliage

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.

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Jul 7, 2025 / Washington Park Arboretum, Center for Urban Horticulture, Plant Profiles, Education / Olivia Price, Adult Education Programs Supervisor

July Plant Profile: Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’

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. 

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June Plant Profile: Ilex vomitoria

Close-up of Ilex vomitoria foliage at the Washington Park Arboretum

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

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May 29, 2025 / Washington Park Arboretum, Personal Profiles / Mary-Margaret Greene, Adult Education Programs Assistant

Staff Profile: Amanda Fairbanks

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

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May 21, 2025 / Washington Park Arboretum, Personal Profiles, News / Mary-Margaret Greene, Adult Education Program Assistant

Staff Profile: Kathleen Glasman

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. 

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Mar 25, 2025 / Washington Park Arboretum, Center for Urban Horticulture, Plant Profiles, Horticulture / Raymond J. Larson, M.S., Associate Director & Curator of Living Collections and the Otis Douglas Hyde Herbarium

March Plant Profile: Lysichiton americanus

Skunk cabbage emerging in early March

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.

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Mar 24, 2025 / Washington Park Arboretum, Personal Profiles, News / Emma Jo Thordsen, Adult Education Program Coordinator

Staff Profile: Lincoln Erbeck, Climbing Arborist & Horticulturist

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. 

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Feb 6, 2025 / Washington Park Arboretum, Plant Profiles, Horticulture, News / Roy Farrow, Washington Park Arboretum Grounds Supervisor

February Plant Profile: Sycopsis sinensis

Sycopsis sinensis flowers and foliage

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.

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Nov 26, 2024 / Washington Park Arboretum, Center for Urban Horticulture, Plant Profiles / Raymond J. Larson, M.S., Associate Director & Curator of Living Collections and the Otis Douglas Hyde Herbarium

November Plant Profile: Disanthus cercidifolius

Learn all about Disanthus cercidifolius, the redbud hazel – a show-stopping shrub for shady gardens that we have many examples of at the Washington Park Arboretum and the Center for Urban Horticulture.

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Nov 18, 2024 / Washington Park Arboretum, Personal Profiles / Mary-Margaret Greene, Adult Education Program Assistant

November Staff Profile: Roy Farrow

Meet Roy Farrow, the Washington Park Arboretum Grounds Supervisor

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