The outdoor preschool at the Washington Park Arboretum aims to counteract “nature deficit disorder.”

On November 21, 1993, which was a rainy blustery Sunday afternoon, we dedicated “The New Zealand High Country”, the first Arboretum garden of New Zealand natives.

Recent test results from Washington State University Puyallup Plant & Insect Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the first case of Dutch Elm Disease (DED) in the core area of the Washington Park Arboretum.  The tree, a 45 year old Guernsey Elm (Ulmus minor ‘Sarniensis’), had been suffering from mechanical injury to the root crown and annual infestations of the Elm Leafminer, an insect that that feeds on elm leaves.  

Cornucopia
1)  Betulaceae          Carpinus japonica, Corylus colurna, Ostrya carpinifolia

Nut-bearing, often enclosed in interesting husks, cones or bracts.

2)  Fabaceae            Colutea orientalis

Legumes, which are dry fruit in pods that dehisce (open along a seam).

3)  Gunneraceae         Gunnera manicata

The fruit-bearing conical spike can reach 6 feet in length.

4)  Magnoliaceae        Magnolia grandiflora, M. officinalis var. biloba, M. sieboldii

Cone-like fruits, from green to red, open to display bright orange seeds. 

A most unusual, but easy to grow annual known as the African Daisy.

1)    Aralia elata (Japanese Angelica Tree)

Natural range: Japan, Korea, Russian Far East
Can be a tree more than 30 feet tall. Ours are multiple suckers from a spreading root system.
Located north of the Wilcox footbridge (40-3W).

2)   Bupleurum fruticosum

A dense, multi-stemmed shrub tolerant of exposure and poor soil.
Native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Located in our Rock Rose area west of the Sorbus Collection (21-3E). 

After a year of surveying Washington Park Arboretum grid points and digitizing paper maps we have made substantial progress on our georeferenced database project. See photos and a video of Botanic Gardens Director Sarah Reichard.

Washington is known as the “Evergreen State” thanks to our vast conifer forests.  However, large conifers often get overlooked when selecting trees for urban areas.  Conifers such as pine, spruce or fir provide many year round benefits to the urban home or garden.
The evergreen canopy offers cover for birds and other wildlife.  When planted strategically, conifers can reduce energy costs by shading homes in the summer and blocking wind in the winter.  

Learn about a stunning ornamental grass from New Zealand that’s catching the eyes of visitors in Pacific Connections.

This picture is one of 30 mounted black-and-white photographs showing native (NW) coniferous trees by former Washington Park Arboretum Director Brian O. Mulligan.