The UW Botanic Gardens regrets to inform our community that a rare Giant cypress or Tibetan cypress tree (Cupressus gigantea) was recently cut down and stolen from the Washington Park Arboretum, presumably to be used as a Christmas tree.  

This act of vandalism represents a significant loss to our living collection and our conservation efforts. Tibetan cypress trees are an endangered species in the wild. This specimen was grown from seed collected in China by the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, Washington and shared with the Arboretum to help further safeguard this species’ genetic diversity.  This young tree was planted in 2022 and at 5’ tall, was roughly 8 years old (Tibetan cypress can live thousands of years) with flat evergreen foliage and scaly brown bark.

This theft is particularly distressing as it affects more than just our garden – it impacts:

• – Our conservation mission and scientific research
• – Future visitors who would have learned from and enjoyed this specimen
• – Our dedicated staff who invested years in nurturing this tree
• – The broader botanical community’s efforts to preserve rare species

This is a good reminder that the Washington Park Arboretum is a living museum of many diverse tree and plant species. We ask our visitors and neighbors to help us preserve these important plant collections by reporting any suspicious activity.

If you have any information about this incident, please contact:

– UW Botanic Gardens: uwbgfac@uw.edu

The Washington Park Arboretum remains committed to maintaining and protecting our valuable collection of plants for research, conservation, and public enjoyment. We appreciate our community’s continued support in helping us preserve these irreplaceable botanical treasures.