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. 

One of the Pacific crabapples growing at the Arboretum was recently declared a national champion for its impressive size. This native tree tolerates wet soil and has fragrant flowers in the spring. In late autumn the small crabapples add interest to the bare branches.

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. 

By September most shrubs are done blooming for the year, but not so with hardy fuchsias! Not only are they decked out with cheery blooms through the fall, they are also a magnet for native hummingbirds.
 Fuchsia magellanica ‘Alba’ (sometimes listed as F. magellanica var. molinae ‘Alba’) is my personal favorite with pendent pink flowers dangling against a background of dark green foliage. 

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. 

This unusual Hydrangea is native to Japan and Taiwan with delightfully big, round buds.

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. 

Recently on the blog, we highlighted a new art installation at the Center for Urban Horticulture, created by Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) candidate Connor Walden. However, Walden isn’t the only artist whose work you can see as you walk around the Center. Quite close to Walden’s work, southwest of Goodfellow Grove and hidden in the shadows of the trees, is a wood and glass three-walled structure with a small bench, shown in the image on the left. 

Henry’s star anise, Illicium henryi, is a large, evergreen shrub with dainty red flowers and surprising aromatic leaves.

1)  Illicium henryi                    Henry Anise Tree

This attractive evergreen shrub is native to China.
It has star-shaped flowers in pink to deep crimson, anise-scented leaves when bruised and is tolerant of shade.
This specimen is located adjacent to the Lookout Loop Trail in the Asiatic Maple collection. Grid 25-1E, if using our mobile interactive plant map.

2)  Leptospermum scoparium                    Manuka

A broad-leafed evergreen shrub native to New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, New Zealand.