The Washington
Park Arboretum is a spectacular urban green space on the shores
of Lake Washington just east of downtown Seattle and south
of the University of Washington.
Washington's official State Arboretum contains internationally recognized woody plant collections on 230 acres. Noteworthy are North America's largest collection of Sorbus and Maple,
the second largest collection of species Hollies and significant
collections of oaks, conifers and camellias.
Integrated pest management
Taking control of garden loosestrife
Thanks to the Washington State Department of Ecology, UW Botanic Gardens plans to begin a major attack on Lysimachia vulgaris (garden loosestrife), a state-listed noxious weed occurring along Union Bay shorelines including the Union Bay Natural Area and the Arboretum's Foster and Marsh Islands. King County requires control of this aggressive and invasive weed, which poses a serious threat to the native character of area wetlands. The DoE provided a 5-year grant for $75,000 to fund loosestrife control.
In July and August, members of King County’s Noxious Weed Control Program and UW Botanic Gardens staff will map areas where the weed has taken hold. Afterwards, the weed will be treated with an aquatically approved herbicide by Northwest Aquatic Eco-Systems using airboats and other specialized equipment.
Take the UW Botanic Gardens audio tours
The UW Botanic Gardens audio tours offer an inside look at two sites: the Pacific Connections Garden at the Arboretum and the demonstration gardens at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
Hear from experts including garden designers, curation staff, and more as they share stories about the significance of each garden to humans and the natural world. Click here to listen online or to learn how to rent audio players at the gardens.
New Youth and Family Programs brochure
Teachers and parents: Want to get your children outside for a day of hands-on learning and fun? Click here to see our brand new youth and family programs brochure!
The University
of Washington Botanic Gardens manages the plant collections
while the City of Seattle holds title to most of the land and
buildings; its Department of Parks and Recreation manages the
park functions of the Arboretum. The Arboretum Foundation is
the support organization for the Arboretum and, besides
providing membership and volunteering opportunities, is raising
money for the implementation of the Masterplan of renovating
the Arboretum over some 20 years
