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Elisabeth C. Miller Library

Archives: Recommended Websites

Fine Gardening’s Plant Guide

A simple search gives access to over a thousand plant descriptions, many with photos and readers’ opinions. Or browse by many different categories, such as variegated foliage, flower color and height.

Trees for Seattle

The City of Seattle encourages the planting of trees along public streets. This site is the umbrella for all of the City of Seattle’s urban forestry efforts. Trees must be planted to standards outlined on this website. Lists of recommended trees, graded by size, and prohibited trees are included.

Cal Poly UFEI SelecTree

A tree selection guide from Cal Poly Urban Forests Ecosystems Institute including trees native to CA and elsewhere. Allows search by characteristics and mentions general root growth tendencies for many trees that grow in the PNW. Although this service is based in California it provides considerable practical information for all regions about many tree species and their suitability in urban environments. A nursery connection map helps locate sources to buy specific trees.

Rhododendron Species Foundation & Botanical Garden

Home to one of the largest collections of species rhododendrons in the world, the garden displays over 700 species of rhododendrons and allied plants. Located in Federal Way, the garden is open Tuesday through Sunday year-round.

Encyclopedia of Life

A comprehensive biodiversity database that includes plants with information on names, habitat, growing locations, reference articles, photos, and associated relationships. The database is hosted by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.