1) Aesculus pavia   (Red Buckeye)

Deciduous shrub to 8 – 12 feet
Native to southern U.S.
Located along Lake Washington Boulevard near the Japanese Garden

2) Cornus alternifolia   (Alternate Leaf Dogwood)

Small tree to 20 feet
Native to eastern North America
Located between Loderi Valley and Azalea Way

3) Illicium henryi   (Henry Anise Tree)

Small tree to 10 – 15 feet
Native to western China
Located near the Asiatic Maples and the Rhododendrons seedling bed

4) Pterostyrax psilophylla   (Small Epaulette Tree)

Deciduous tree up to 45 – 50 feet
Native to central China
Located behind Azalea Way (bed H)

5) Sinojackia rhederiana   (Jack Tree)

Small tree or shrub reaching heights of 15 – 20 feet
Native to southeast China
Located near the Rhododendron Glen parking lot 

1)   Rhododendron luteum

Also called Yellow Azalea or Honeysuckle Azalea.
Despite the sweet perfume, the nectar is toxic. Records of people poisoned by eating the honey date back to 4th century B.C.
Cultivated both as an ornamental and as root stock.

2)   Laburnocytisus adamii

Also known as Adam’s laburnum or broom laburnum.
Considered a horticultural curiosity, some branches produce yellow flowers while other branches produce coppery-pink flowers. 

Did you know that the Washington Park Arboretum often serves as a research site for researchers at the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences? Recently, researchers at UW have been using the Arboretum to study LIDAR and its applications.

In early May UWBG suffered a sever vandalism attack of  in the Gateway to Chile garden. This follows similar vandalism last May in the same location and in some cases, the same plants.  KOMO news covered the story with an interview with the Manager of Horticulture, David Zuckerman:
 
Yesterday Director Sarah Reichard received a call from a private banker representing an anonymous donor and by late yesterday UWBG had a check to cover the estimated costs to replace plants and repair the damages – $43,000! 

1)  Azara lanceolata

An evergreen shrub with arching branches and lance-shaped leaves, A. lanceolata bears clustered yellow flowers in mid to late spring. Native to South America, Azaras is a genus of 10 species within the family, Flacourtiaceae.
Located in the double lot on the east side of Arboretum Drive.

2)  Cercis siliquastrum   (Judas-tree)

A deciduous tree usually of low, bushy habit, C. 

Last winter we told you about Abby Aresty, a Seattle-based composer, sound artist and UW doctoral student in music, who was raising money for a sound installation in the Washington Park Arboretum.

1) Camellia japonica ‘Drama Girl’

Hybridized in 1950, this winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit has very large, semi-double, deep salmon rose pink flowers.
Located in the Camellia Collection on the east side of Arboretum Drive.

2) Ilex aquifolium ‘Ferox Argentea’ (Hedgehog Holly)

This holly is a large, bushy evergreen shrub with small, spiny leaves whose upper surfaces as well as the margins are broadly-edged with creamy white. 

On Saturday, April 14th join the Student Conservation Association (SCA), the University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG), and Seattle Parks and Recreation for a day of fun service projects at the Washington Park Arboretum.

Celebrate Earth Day at the Arboretum on April 22nd from 10am-12pm!
Washington Park Arboretum and Wilderness Awareness School have teamed up to offer a family-friendly Earth Day event. Bring your family, bring your friends and come celebrate the earth, play games, do a small service project and eat yummy earth snacks. 

1)   Berberis darwinii

Darwin’s barberry is one of the showiest of the genus with striking orange flowers opening from red buds.
Unlike most other Berberis (including our native species), Berberis darwinii produce sweet fruit in the fall.
A large mass can be found in the Chilean entry garden in Pacific Connections, as well as the Chilean hillside along Lake Washington Boulevard.