Rhododendron macabeanum is one of the finest big leaved Rhododendron species and has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award Of Garden Merit.  It has large yellow/white flowers often blotched purple inside with an interesting bright pink stigma.  The leaves are a dark glossy green and about 1′ in length with a light colored indumentum on the underside.  It also bears a nice silvery young leaf and bright red bud scales. 

Last Thursday, the UW Botanic Gardens’ Education Team was honored at the UW’s annual Distinguished Staff Award Reception held at the HUB Ballroom.  The team, seen posing above at the reception, was 1 of 11 teams nominated to receive this year’s DSA.  Both individual and team winners will be chosen in the coming month and honored at the Annual Awards of Excellence on June 12th in Meany Hall Auditorium.  

The cone represents our collections and the importance of conifers in our landscape.

1)  Berberis x lologensis

A natural hybrid of B. darwinii and B. linearifolia originally found near Lake Lolog, Argentina in 1927
If you can get past the thorns, enjoy the rich, spicy fragrance.
Located in grid 14-6E near Arboretum Drive.

 
 
2)  Acer tegmentosum  ‘Joe Witt’

This striped-bark maple is named for former Arboretum Director Joseph Witt.
Located in the Witt Winter Garden and on Arboretum Drive in the Peonies. 

The Rhododendron occidentale is one of two NW native Rhododendron species (the other being our Washington State Flower, Rhododendron macrophyllum).
Commonly called Western Azalea or Honeysuckle Shrub, it is found along the Pacific Coast from lower Washington to central California. This species shrub is tolerant of wet soils and can be found in wetlands and along creeks in its native environment. 

One of the most iconic and fragrant of all spring flowers, this variegated selection of lily-of-the-valley is not as aggressive as the straight species.

The word spring comes from the old English springen, meaning “to leap, burst forth, fly up; spread, to grow.” This is a marvelous description of what we’ve been seeing happen to the minds, hearts, and bodies of students in the forest grove these past few weeks. The new growth in the forest has paralleled a very different sort of growth among the children’s minds. 

The first major plant sale in Seattle (now called FlorAbundance) was sponsored by the Arboretum Foundation as a fund raiser for what was then the University of Washington Arboretum. The sales were originally held in a small building called Floral Hall, which later burned down.

“Seeing Red”
1)   Acer rubrum      (Red Maple)

Specific epithet, rubrum (red), refers to foliage in fall; however, flowers are red too
One of the earliest trees to flower, appearing in March, well before the leaves
Located at south end of Arboretum Drive East, against the Broadmoor fence

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2)   Camellia japonica      ‘Jupiter’

Carmine-red flowers with prominent yellow stamens on white filaments
Located along Ridgetop Trail at head of Rhododendron Glen

3)   Chaenomeles sp.      

Most visitors experiencing the beauty of our historic Azalea Way flowering cherries from now through May probably have no idea of how intensive maintaining their health and prolonging their longevity truly is for the UW Botanic Gardens horticulture staff.   Just ask our Integrated Pest manager, Ryan Garrison. Ryan with staff support spends many a day throughout the year monitoring and controlling the numerous diseases and insect pests our 175 plus cherries are prone to suffer from.