Best wildflower hikes Western Washington

Best wildflower hikes of western Washington book cover “Best Wildflower Hikes Western Washington by Peter Stekel is a good choice for the Seattle area native plant fancier. It provides a list of favorite hikes, many in or near our three national parks. Others are for easy, lowland hiking, including trails on the San Juan Islands. Each will take you past areas where wildflowers are prominent in season, or to especially good stands of native trees. A thorough introduction provides guidance on essential things to bring, including equipment such as hiking poles. Other sections help you choose the best trails for children and/or dogs, and even give advice on trail etiquette.

The tone here is more casual than in plant guidebooks. In a description of the hike to Panorama Point in Mount Rainier National Park, the author encourages that “a further 0.2 mile of huffing and puffing, and you’ll be rewarded with dizzying views down in the valley of the Nisqually Glacier.” Elsewhere, he is quite political: “Are you tired of all these fees? Then, do something about it!”

There is enthusiasm in Stekel’s writing and he is especially keen on the Columbia River Gorge. “If your timing is right, your eyes will be overwhelmed by acres and acres of yellows, blues, reds, and greens—that, and awe-inspiring views of the mighty ‘River of the West’ making its way to the sea.”

Excerpted from the Summer 2019 Arboretum Bulletin.

Plants of Northern California

Plant of Northern California book cover “Plants of Northern California” by Eva Begley includes non-flowering plants such as conifers and ferns. The scope is essentially north of a line from San Francisco to Sacramento, west of the Sierra Nevada range, and south of the Oregon border.

This is not arranged by flower color. The author explains: “In short, dear reader, you may find it hard to identify all the plants you encounter in northern California, and you certainly won’t find every one in this book. By organizing the book according to families, though, rather than flower color, I hope to help you at least to place many plants not included here in their correct family or genus.”

Without a field test, I can’t comment on this approach for identification, but I did find it effective for reading through the book, allowing me to concentrate on all the species in a single genus. For example, being able to read about all the monkey flowers (Mimulus species), in their wide array of colors, in one place gave me a greater appreciation for the genus that includes annuals, perennials, or even shrubs. The writing is very engaging, although I did balk at Rhododendron macrophyllum, the state flower of Washington, being called a “California Rhododendron.” Harrumph!

Excerpted from the Summer 2019 Arboretum Bulletin.

Wildflowers of Oregon

Wildflowers of Oregon book cover Damian Fagan is a University of Washington graduate in botany who now lives in Oregon. His “Wildflowers of Oregon” introduces 400 of the most common wildflowers from across that state, arranged by colors. The majority of these are herbaceous plants, but trees and shrubs with prominent flowers are included. Most of these range northward into Washington and even British Columbia, making this a useful reference throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Comments with each flower typically include the source of the botanical name. For example, I learned that Tellima (as in Tellima grandiflora, or Fringecups) “is an anagram of Mitella, another genus in the Saxifrage Family.” Other notes discuss ethnobotanical uses, or hints on distinguishing between similar species.

I would recommend this book for the more casual observer. A glossary is provided, but the descriptions mostly use non-technical terms. The selected species are the most commonly seen and the single photograph along with the descriptive text will suffice in most cases for identification – there are no keys. The author co-dedicates the book to the memory of Art Kruckeberg.

Excerpted from the Summer 2019 Arboretum Bulletin.

Native plants in the coastal garden

“Native Plants in the Coastal Garden” (1996, revised 2002) by April Pettinger and Brenda Costanzo brings a British Columbia focus to native plant gardening. Essays describe the rise of a late 20th century naturalistic aesthetic in European and American garden design and the supreme suitability of native plants for this look. Many different design aspects are considered, such as container gardening with native plants, and the large role that grasses play in any landscape.

Only in the latter half of the book are species described in depth, presented in groupings by appropriate habitats. Trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants have equal treatment with a section for each on propagation and cultivation. Photos are limited and most of the information on nurseries and public gardens is out of date.

Excerpted from the Summer 2019 Arboretum Bulletin.

Gardening with native plants of the Pacific Northwest

Art Kruckeberg (1920-2016) has a legendary reputation for his research and teaching in botany, and his expansion of that work into the natural history and geology of selected ecosystems. But for gardeners, he is best remembered for his classic “Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest,” first published in 1982, followed by a second edition in 1996.

Linda Chalker-Scott is rapidly developing her own renown for books that encourage learning the science behind growing plants. Now she has taken on the major task of guiding the publication of a third edition of “Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest.”

This is not just an editorial update. It is a collaboration from different perspectives and eras. Kruckeberg was a professor of botany for nearly four decades at the University of Washington until his retirement in 1989. In his first edition, he acknowledges the help of several individuals that figure prominently in the mid to later 20th century Arboretum, including Brian Mulligan, Roy Davidson, Joe Witt, C. Leo Hitchcock, Sylvia Duryee, and his wife, horticulturist Mareen Kruckeberg, the latter credited with conceiving the concept of this book.

Chalker-Scott is an associate professor of horticulture and extension specialist at Washington State University. Her contributions to the new edition further enhance the reader’s understanding of our native plants in their natural setting, and how to make them thrive in the not-very-natural setting of a typical home garden.

For those familiar with the older editions, the first thing you’ll notice in the new edition is the inclusion of many color photographs, almost one for every text entry. Each photograph has a selection of habitat icons “to help gardeners both visualize the best natural settings for native plants and identify environmental preferences.” For example, a plant may naturally grow in the full sun of a meadow or prairie, or it may need the superb drainage of a rock garden. Plants may be best adapted for wetlands or drylands, or perhaps a woodland or even a seashore. Another symbol marks plants especially successful in restoration projects. The new edition also updates taxonomy, reflecting the recent publication of the 2nd edition of the “Flora of the Pacific Northwest” (see my review in the Spring 2019 issue of “The Bulletin”).

For those new to this book, the breadth of the plant selection may be surprising – we have many garden-worthy natives. The emphasis is on woody plants. Almost all native trees are reviewed in some depth, including those not recommended for a garden setting. In the chapter on deciduous shrubs, ten “choice” species are considered first as the best choices. Much of the writing in these plant descriptions is the voice of Kruckeberg, although I noticed that favored plants are now “our” favorites – the two authors agree on most of the selections.

Chalker-Scott has added a new chapter that brings her signature work on horticultural science to the establishment and maintenance of a garden rich in native plants. She alleviates concerns about using “nativars” – propagated selections chosen for an unusual and desirable trait, such as double flowers or variegation. She also assures the new gardener that it is okay to mix well-behaved exotics into your garden of mostly natives.

One major difference between the second and third editions is the removal of any instructions on how to collect native plants from the wild. Chalker-Scott cautions, “This practice must stop if we are to retain many of our rare, threatened, and endangered species. It’s a better ethical and ecological choice to purchase native plants from reputable nurseries that have propagated and cultivated their plants without endangering native populations.”

Excerpted from the Summer 2019 Arboretum Bulletin

Plants of the world

[Plants of the World] cover

“Plants of the World” by Maarten J. M. Christenhusz, Michael F. Fay, and Mark W. Chase is the first book to explore systematically every vascular plant family in the world. The plants are organized in a modern phylogenetic order, in which more than 450 families are described and illustrated.

Following an introduction that sets out the various aspects that are covered in the treatments, the entries follow an encyclopedic format with information about distribution, phylogeny and evolution, numbers of genera and species, uses, largest genome, and etymology. Illustrations are color photographs showing key features of selected representatives. Small global distribution maps are included.

The information isn’t detailed but the entries capture in a summary manner the basic features of every vascular plant family in the world. The end matter includes a glossary, further reading, general references and index.

This ambitious book seems like an important reference work that will set the tone for further works to follow.

Excerpted from the June 2019 Leaflet for Scholars Volume 6, Issue 6

Flora : inside the secret world of plants

[Flora] cover

I didn’t expect to like “Flora: Inside the Secret World of Plants.” Publications from big institutions (in this case the Smithsonian and Kew Gardens) can be ponderous. At first glance, it looks like an overblown coffee table book. Lovely photos, but – yawn – not much interesting content.

I was wrong. I recommend this to every gardener. Start with the Table of Contents – pedantic advice, yes, but seeing the layout helps you understand the book’s flow. First, it answers the question, what is a plant?

The rest is very systematic, starting from the ground up with roots, moving along the stems and branches to the leaves and flowers, and finally seeds and fruits. It makes a lot of sense to read this in order.

The publisher is DK, well known for books with strong graphic design and as expected, the illustrations are excellent and enhance the text. The individual concepts are brief, easy bites, but as you read, you’ll pick up all sorts of knowledge about the plants you love that will inform your gardening. Along the way, too, there are brief bios of the people of plants – the botanists, the gardeners, the illustrators. It’s a surprisingly complete package.

Excerpted from the June 2019 Leaflet Volume 6, Issue 6

The History of Landscape Design in 100 Gardens

Ugh. That was my first reaction to the title “The History of Landscape Design in 100 Gardens.” I immediately pictured a dull, dusty history book.

When I opened the book, I was surprised. Choosing a random page, I was hooked by the narrative and soon fully engaged. Author Linda A. Chisholm skillfully weaves stories of gardens and gardeners seamlessly within the prevailing styles and the broader culture of their times.

To do this, she uses “one hundred of the world’s great gardens, chosen to illustrate the history and principles of landscape design and to answer the question of why a particular style became dominant at a specific time and place in history.”

This history begins with a wide swath from the 9^th century to the 15^th century C. E. This was a time when gardens were enclosed, providing protection from the dangerous world outside. This style was used in both Christian and Muslin gardens, the latter in part represented by the Alhambra in Spain.

A later chapter, entitled “The Poppies Grow”, explores how “designers of five beloved gardens find solace in opposing the industry that led to war.” These gardens include Hidcote, Sissinghurst, Great Dixter, and Dumbarton Oaks. I’ve been to all, but I will now better appreciate their shared purposes.

Each of these entries are short, but – as a librarian friend of mine commented – meaty. Most of the gardens will be familiar. There is an emphasis on European and American history, although the two chapters that linked European and East Asian gardens were especially insightful. For example, I have never considered the similarities between French Impressionism and Japanese garden design of the same period.

This is a wonderful way to teach a challenging subject – the history of design. The author’s astute organization of the chapter topics, along with the photographs of Michael D. Garber, make this book work. I wish there was a broader selection of west coast gardens (there are two, both in Sonoma County, California), but that is a small quibble. An excellent bibliography leads the reader to a wealth of other publications to pursue these topics further.

Published in Garden Notes: Northwest Horticultural Society, Summer 2019

Garden Wise : Non-Invasive Plants for Your Garden

[Garden Wise] cover

How do you convince gardeners, landscape designers, or nurseries to avoid planting or selling invasive plants? An effective tool is to provide alternatives – plants that provide a similar aesthetic but do not wreak havoc on our native plants and ecosystems.

“Garden Wise: Non-Invasive Plants for Your Garden, Western Washington Guide” is just such a tool. Published since 2006, the newest edition (2019) presents a selection of herbaceous, groundcover, aquatic, and even woody plants that are invasive in western Washington. Described typically with two photos, a close-up and a landscape shot of an aggressive stand, each entry will help even the casual plant observer identify the culprits. One example is Yellow Archangel ( Lamiastrum galeobdolon), a “trailing plant [that] easily establishes wild populations, in many cases as the result of improper disposal of garden cuttings or hanging baskets.”

Best of all, at least three alternatives are described for each invasive plant, also with photos that demonstrate their similar “look” and garden appeal. Many of these are natives. As an alternative to Yellow Archangel, the gardener is encouraged to consider Wild Ginger ( Asarum caudatum), a native groundcover that also grows well in part to full shade.

The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board heads a long list of organizations (including the UW Botanic Gardens) that have produced this document. Coming soon is a similar booklet for eastern Washington. Both will be available in the Miller Library, or in .PDF format at the Board’s website (www.nwcb.wa.gov).

Excerpted from the May 2019 Leaflet for Scholars Volume 6, Issue 5.

Flora of the Pacific Northwest : an illustrated manual

For Pacific Northwest botanists of all levels, the one-volume book informally known as “Hitchcock” has been standard equipment since its publication in 1973. This work, “Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual” by C. Leo Hitchcock and Arthur Cronquist, was intended as a field version of the five-volume flora “Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest,” written by the same authors with two additional botanists and two illustrators from 1955-1969.

“No scholarly endeavors are immune to the advancing frontiers of knowledge.” This quote is from the introduction of the new, second edition of the one-volume “Flora,” expanded by a team of four editors with three new illustrators. Changes in taxonomy, especially from molecular studies, plus newly described taxa and the establishment of non-native species (which this flora includes) have created a long overdue need for an update.

In the 45 years between publications, there has been a nearly 25% increase in the number of taxa included, the biggest single reason being “the establishment, or detection, of additional exotic taxa within our area.” While this work does not introduce any new names or classifications, just keeping up with widely accepted taxonomic changes has resulted in over 40% of the listings in the first edition having a new genus and/or species name, or being placed in a different family.

Hitchcock was a long-time professor of botany at the University of Washington. He was also a gardener, and many references remain in the 2nd edition regarding the ornamental qualities and garden adaptability of the subjects.

These include the observation that the incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) is a fine ornamental tree, and that “trilliums are rather easily grown, and T. ovatum in particular is an excellent garden pl [plant], but it is a shame to dig them in the wild, esp [especially] since they grow readily from seed.” This urging of conservation (as well as the use of abbreviations) is a repeated theme: “The lilies are a constant temptation to the avaricious gardener, but our spp. [species] rarely thrive in cult [cultivation] and should not be removed from the wild.”

Like the first edition, this book attempts to be comprehensive in its presentation of species, subspecies, and varieties throughout Washington, much of Oregon and Idaho, the western part of Montana, and southern British Columbia. The first edition introduced the new (at the time) idea of embedding the species descriptions and illustrations within the taxonomic keys. This proved to be a good decision. It has remained a best-seller for the University of Washington Press for the last four decades.

At 882 pages (the first edition had 730), it is perhaps a bit hefty for field work, but this is a must for your home garden library. The aforementioned use of abbreviations keeps it from becoming even bigger, and this is a bit of a challenge for reading at first. But after a while, this shorthand becomes familiar. The Miller Library has a lending copy of the new edition, and keeps non-circulating copies of both editions and the earlier volumes of “Vascular Plants.” Be sure to take a look at this new standard for our regional botany!

Excerpted from the Spring 2019 Arboretum Bulletin.