University of Washington Botanic Gardens

Selected cuttings from the Washington Park Arboretum (May 13 – 26, 2013)

1)   Aesculus x carnea ‘Fort McNair’

• A hybrid between A. pavia and A. hippocastanum, it probably originated as a chance hybrid made by insects in 19th-century Germany.
• Selected at the fort of the same name in Washington, D.C., flowers are pink with a yellow throat.
• It can be found on Azalea Way, across from the Woodland Garden.

2)   Buddleja globosa

• A species of flowering plant endemic to Chile and Argentina, where it grows in dry and moist forest.

Close-up view of the unusual orange flowers of the Buddleja globosa

• It can be found at both ends of the Arboretum at the Holmdahl Rockery and in the Graham Visitor Center parking lot.

3)   Embothrium coccineum   (Chilean Fire tree)

• A small evergreen tree from the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina.
• The plant was introduced to Europe by William Lobb during his plant collecting expedition to the Valdivian temperate rain forests in 1845–1848. It was described by Kew Gardens thusly: ”Perhaps no tree cultivated in the open air in the British Isles gives so striking and brilliant a display as this does.”
• There are several small specimens in the Chilean Gateway, and one large one just north of the bus turnaround on Arboretum Drive.

4)  Rhododendron x  ‘Favor Major’

• Hybridized by L. De Rothschild, the founder of Exbury Gardens in the United Kingdom.
• A beautiful orange Azalea, located on Arboretum Drive at the Rhododendron Glen parking lots.

5)  Syringa josikaea   (Hungarian Lilac)

• A species of lilac native to central and eastern Europe, in the Carpathian Mountains in Hungary, Romania, and western Ukraine.
• Located in the Syringa Collection on Azalea Way, just south of the Woodland Garden.

1)   Acer circinatum (Vine maple)

• Taken for granted around here, this time of year our vine maple is most eye-catching in flower.
• Located throughout our native matrix as a deciduous forest understory tree.
• Vine maple is native to the North American west coast from British Columbia to California.

2)   Acer cissifolium   (Vine-leaf maple)

• Despite their similar common names, vine maple and vine-leaf maple could hardly be more different. The Acer cissifolium leaf is compound, composed of three leaflets; Acer circinatum has almost round leaves. The flowers of Acer cissifolium have four petals (unusual for a maple) and are arranged in racemes while those of Acer circinatum are five-petaled and in panicles.
• Acer cissifolium is native to Japan. In the Arboretum, it is located in Rhododendron Glen (12-3E) and in the Asiatic Maples (27-B).

3)   Broussonetia kazinoki

• The inner bark is prized in Japan for making high-quality paper.
• A related species Broussonetia paperifera (paper mulberry) is used for paper from Myanmar to Japan and in Polynesia for the paper-like “tapa cloth”.
• The fruit begin to develop before the flowers produce pollen.
• Our Broussonetia is north of the Winter Garden in 35-3E and 36-2E.

4)   Rhododendron augustinii

• Provides the mauve backdrop for the beds along Azalea Way and in Rhododendron Glen.
• One of many plants discovered by and named for Augustine Henry in western China.

5)   Viburnum macrocephalum

• A China native introduced by Robert Fortune in 1844.
• Located in the Pacific Connections China Entry Garden.

“Now it will Spring forth!”

1)  Acer macrophyllum    (Bigleaf maple)

• Taken for granted around here, this time of year our Bigleaf maple is most eye-catching in flower.
• It’s the subtle texture of its expanding leaf that drew my attention.
• Located throughout our native matrix as the dominant deciduous forest tree.

2)  Aesculus wangii

• A horse chestnut classified as vulnerable in its native habitat of Vietnam.
• Notice the flattened bract-like stipule of the newly-expanding leaves.
• Our young, marginally-hardy specimen is located in Loderi Valley.

Close-up view of Kalopanax septemlobus (Prickly castor-oil tree)

3)  Kalopanax septemlobus    (Prickly castor-oil tree)

• Deciduous tree from northeast Asia known for its “tropical” appearance in full-leaf.
• I was impressed by the size of the bud bracts and pure white indumetum of the expanding leaves.
• This specimen is located along the eastern side of Arboretum Creek, south of Boyer Ave. East

4)  Picea meyeri    (Meyer’s spruce)

• Spruce tree native to China, similar in appearance to Colorado Blue spruce.
• Quite striking, springing forth new needles in combination with red male and female cones.
• Located in the Pinetum, just west of path and south of Stone Bridge.

Close-up view of the poplar, Populus sp

5)  Populus sp

• The detail and color contrast in the expanding leaf is awesome!
• This poplar is unidentified in our collections, but worthy of attention.
• Located in the Poplar Collection, south Azalea Way.