I’m thinking of planting the following plants in my garden but would like to see them first. Can you tell me if they are at the Washington
Park Arboretum? The plants are: Chinese Witchhazel, Witch Alder, Mountain Laurel, Soft Shield Fern, and Variegated Kiwi Vine.
The Washington Park Arboretum has many examples of Hamamelis mollis, or
Chinese witch hazel (unless you meant Corylopsis sinensis or Loropetalum
chinense, which also go by the common name ‘Chinese witch hazel’). Kalmia
latifolia (Mountain laurel) and Fothergilla (but not Fothergilla
gardenii, which is Witch alder) are also in the Arboretum. The variegated
kiwi, Actinidia kolomikta, used to be grown here at the Center for Urban
Horticulture. Soft shield fern, or Polystichum setiferum, may be in the
Arboretum, but is not listed, as it is not a woody plant. You can search the Washington Park Arboretum’s Living Collections database by the plants’ scientific or common names (sometimes it’s best to search the scientific name, for clarity). You can search the Arboretum’s interactive map and there is also a trail map linked here which provides information on large collections of plants, so you can get a sense of where to find things. You can go to the Graham Visitors Center in the Arboretum and ask for assistance in locating the witch hazels (some are in the Witt Winter Garden, and
others are in a grove on the south end of the park) and other plants.
All of these plants grow well in our area. I have a dwarf form of
Fothergilla in my garden, and it has been thriving. I have also seen many
of the other plants in your list growing happily in private gardens in
Seattle. Since you wish to know what they look like, here are several links to
additional information with pictures.
Fothergilla gardenii Picture 1
Picture 2
Kalmia latifolia Picture 1
Picture 2
Polystichum setiferum
Picture 1 (from a local gardener)