1)  Arctostaphylus uva-ursi                                                   ‘Vancouver Jade’            Kinnikinnick or Bearberry

Broadleaf evergreen and creeping groundcover with circumpolar distribution in northern hemisphere often found growing in association with Pitch Pine
If there were still bears on Cape Cod, it would be a favorite food source for them.
This cultivar, ‘Vancouver Jade’ is growing in containers outside the Graham Visitor Center.

2)  Juniperus virginiana  ‘Blue Coast’                               Eastern Red Cedar

A low growing, blue form of the Eastern Red Cedar
Pioneer species found in mixed stands with Pitch Pine, reclaiming abandoned farms and grasslands
Found growing under Pines in grid 36-4E, along nursery road

3)  Morella pensylvanica                Bayberry

Berries boiled to extract sweet-smelling wax used to make clean-burning candles
Found growing in dry open sites along with Bearberry, Eastern Red Cedar and Pitch Pine
Mass growing in Oaks Collection in grid 43-B

4)  Pinus rigida                Pitch Pine

Rigid cone scales and stiff needles, hence its Latin specific epithet
Used during days of wooden ships due to its resistance to decay
Several young specimens in our Pinetum, grid 37-4W

5)  Viburnum dentatum var. 

Don’t get stuck inside all winter. Get outside and explore our senses and learn a little bit about winter, trees, and even decomposers in our Winter Family Nature Classes.

1)  Berberis fortunei             Fortune’s Mahonia

Native to China, this shrub sports deep-red new growth when grown in sunnier locations.
The mature size is 6-12 feet tall and just as wide.
This specimen is located in the Sino-Himalayan Collection (Grid 25-1W).

2)  Buxus wallichiana             Himalayan Boxwood

A large shrub or small tree native to the northwestern Himalaya and known for very dense, hard wood. 

Poet’s Laurel is a jewel that will brighten the November garden.

by John A. Wott, Director Emeritus
On August 19, 2015, one of the original staff members of UW Botanic Gardens (Washington Park Arboretum) left this earth to tend to her new garden “in the sky.” Joan Pirzio-Biroli, known to everyone as “Jan” or “JPB” was officially employed as a research/extension program assistant at the University of Washington from November 10, 1980, until her retirement on November 1, 1991. 

1)  Cupressus (Hesperocyparis) bakeri                               Modoc Cedar

A moderately-sized coniferous tree with greyish-green scale-like foliage that is dotted with white resin. It is native to the Siskiyou and Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges. A slow growing tree, usually under 90 feet over many decades.
Considered vulnerable to extinction in the wild in the medium term.
Located in the Pacific Connections Garden Cascadia Focal Forest above the Chilean Gateway. 

1)  Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’                Blue Atlas Cedar

A large coniferous tree with vivid, glaucous blue foliage, making it easy to identify.
Native to Algeria and Morocco on the Atlas Mountains, these specimens can grow up to 100 feet tall and beyond.
Located in the Pinetum near the Lynn Street play area.

2)  Cunninghamia lanceolata                China Fir

Members of the family Taxodiaceae, these trees are named after James Cunningham, who originally found C. 

by John A. Wott, Director Emeritus
On Thursday, October 29, 2015, the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington will honor Daniel J. Evans, on his 90th birthday, for his public leadership, scholarship, and service.  What an opportune time to mention the Daniel J. Evans Centennial Tree at the Washington Park Arboretum…a coast redwood  (Sequoia sempervirens) which he planted in the south Pinetum as part of the Washington State Arbor Day program.   

Pterocarya stenoptera, common name Chinese Wing Nut, has gorgeous lime green seed catkins 12-14″ long each bearing up to 80 seeds. That’s pretty amazing in itself but when these seed catkins are dripping off of each limb of a tall tree the effect is stunning.
The Wing Nut genus resides in the walnut family, or Juglandaceae, and is used for ornamental purposes in gardens around the world.   

How some trees react to high winds.
1)  Pseudotsuga menziesii                Douglas Fir

The detritus lying on the ground following a wind event in the Pacific Northwest provides ample evidence of how P. menziesii defends itself against wind.
The wood of P. menziesii is brittle and can snap. When a strong wind acts on a Douglas Fir, the tree sacrifices small pieces of foliage to shed the wind’s energy.