If you’ve spent any time looking through our interactive map of the Washington Park Arboretum, you’ve probably noticed those purple plant dots. While most of the dots denoting different plants in the collection are bright Kelly green, some of them are a festive light purple color. But why?
I stumbled on this question while trying to identify a tree that I had taken a picture of when I was wandering through the arboretum a couple weeks ago. 

Summer is a great time to visit the UW Botanic Gardens and offers the best weather of the year to enjoy blooms and botanically interesting walks.

1)  Kalmia latifolia                     Mountain Laurel

This attractive evergreen shrub is native to the eastern United States.
Has five-sided cup-shaped clusters of pink flowers.
The name honors Pehr Kalm (1715-1779) and latifoliia means “Broad Leafed”.

2)  Rhododendron occidentale                     Western Azalea

This deciduous shrub is native to the coasts of central and southern Oregon and California.
Fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers are borne in trusses and vary from white to pale rose, with or without a yellow blotch and sometimes streaked with darker rose markings. 

The Washington Park Arboretum has two large Ulmus americana in the collection: one of which, the “George Washington” elm, is a historic American tree.

1)  Enkianthus campanulatus                    Redvein Enkianthus

This attractive deciduous shrub is native to open woodlands in Japan.
Tiny bell-shaped, creamy-yellow to reddish flowers held together in clusters.
Small elliptic leaves turning bright red, orange and yellow in the fall.

2)  Davidia involucrata                     Handkerchief Tree

This deciduous tree is native to woodlands in central China.
Its small, reddish purple flower heads are surrounded by a pair of large, white bracts up to 30 cm. 

With blushing pink flower trusses and leaves with a layer of attractive fuzz underneath, Rhododendron ‘Ken Janeck’ is a sensational shrub for Northwest gardens.

We are excited to introduce two new ways of experiencing the Arboretum.
For a more active person, we are offering Arboretum Running Tours. We’ll combine exercise, education, and entertainment on a fun running tour through the Arboretum, one of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks and home to the University of Washington Botanic Gardens’ world-class plant collections. You’ll learn about the history and design of the park, a few choice plants, and traditional or modern uses of various plants along the route. 

1)  Berberis darwinii                     Darwin’s Barberry

This barberry was discovered in Chile by Charles Darwin in 1835 during his voyage on the Beagle.
Located in the Chilean entry garden of the Pacific Connections Garden, the red-tinted flower buds open to bright yellow-orange flowers.
The abundant summer fruit of this barberry is sweet and delicious as opposed to our native sour barberries (mahonias). 

The UW Botanic Gardens staff use integrated pest management to keep flowering cherry trees healthy and beautiful.

1)  Forsythia ovata     Korean Forsythia

This genus is named in honor of Scottish botanist William Forsyth. Forsyth was a founding member of the Royal Horticulture Society in England.
A short and spreading deciduous shrub that is popular in gardens and yards for its early spring display of bright yellow flowers.
These are planted throughout the park, but can be enjoyed walking down Azalea Way.