1)   Illicium henryi                           Henry’s Star Anise

Native to China, this pungent plant is related to culinary star anise (Illicium verum). Specimens can be found on the Sino-Himalayan hillside and along the western edge of the Magnolia Collection.
The genus name Illicium comes from the Latin for “allurement” or “inducement from an enticing scent”. This refers to the aromatic scent released by bruised or crushed leaves. 

1)   Edgeworthia chrysantha                          Paperbush

Native to China, the inner bark of this plant may be used to make quality paper.
The silvery flower buds will open in mid-winter to very fragrant, creamy-yellowish flowers.
Edgeworthia can be found on the west side of the Graham Visitors Center in the Pacific Connections China Garden and the Witt Winter Garden.

2)   Hamamelis vernalis  ‘Christmas Cheer’                          Witch Hazel

This witch hazel is native to the Ozark Plateau. 

Having grown up in northern California, I came to the Seattle area with a treasured tree in my heart and could quickly answer the “favorite tree” question commonly asked in horticultural gatherings. Though my neighborhood was a bit inland and to the south of the coast redwood range (and so was surrounded by majestic oaks most of my days) it was the stunning Sequoia sempervirens forests along the northern coast where I hiked and camped which I considered iconically and perhaps spiritually my home. 

The annual Holiday Arts and Crafts sale in the Miller Library opens December 6th. This year we’ll have hand-knit items, kitchen wares with botanical flare, dramatic necklaces and more.

1)   Callicarpa sp.                          Beautyberry

The small, attractive metallic and purple berries give this ornamental shrub its common name.
The berries stay on the plant late into winter and are an important food source for wildlife.
This popular landscape plant provides a splash of color as fall sets in.
This and other Callicarpa can be seen from Arboretum Drive in our nursery. 

1)   Cardiocrinum giganteum                         Giant Himalayan Lily

As its name suggests, this is a large lily that grows to be 8 to 10 feet tall with huge fragrant white flowers followed by attractive seed pods that progress from green to brown and contain hundreds of thin-layered seeds.
The remaining stalks with seed pods can be found in the Pacific Connections China Garden. 

Ilex verticillata ‘Nana’, typically sold as ‘Red Sprite’ or under the trade name RED SPRITE, is a dwarf winterberry cultivar that is an outstanding choice for late fall and winter landscapes, especially for those with limited space.  The bright red berries are produced in abundance and are its outstanding ornamental feature. Unlike most winterberries, which can reach to 5-8’ high and wide or more, ‘Red Sprite’ is only 2’ to 3’ tall and wide at maturity. 

1)   Picea orientalis                            Oriental Spruce

This popular ornamental spruce can grow up to 150 feet and is native to the Caucasus Mountains and northern Asia Minor.
This species is prized for its gracefully pendulous foliage and for the young cones which are deep purple.
A grove of these trees can be found on the northeast side of the Pinetum.

2)   Picea morrisonicola                          Taiwan Spruce

Endemic to the mountains of Taiwan, this spruce has slender, delicate shoots. 

Each year the Rare Plant Care and Conservation Program (Rare Care) hosts a weekend to monitor rare and threatened plants of Washington State. Trained monitoring volunteers, Rare Care staff, and National Forest staff work together to collect data on rare plant populations. This year’s monitoring weekend was held in the Colville National Forest. Based at Frater Lake, we camped below the stars and woke to the chattering of red squirrels busy with their daily chores. 

This spring, the Rare Plant Care and Conservation program (Rare Care) launched a new initiative in partnership with the Washington Natural Heritage Program to conduct botanical surveys of several Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Natural Area Preserves (NAP) and Natural Resource Conservation Areas (NRCA). Our goal is to expand our understanding of the botanical diversity of these preserves and the flora of Washington State.