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Washington  Park 

ARBORETUM  BULLETIN 


Published  by  The  Arboretum  Foundation 
for  the  University  of  Washington 
ly^ne  55,  No-1,  Spring  1992  ($2^5( 


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1 

Officers  of 

The  Arboretum  Foundation 

Mary  Thorne 
President 
Vice  Presidents: 

Bill  MacKay 
Administration 
Janet  Patrick 
Unit  Council 
Mary  Booth 
Special  Events 
Duane  Kelly 
Long-Range  Planning 
Cecilia  Buck 
Secretary 
Keith  Patrick 
Treasurer 
Richard  Doss 

Immediate  Past  President 
Rae  Tennyson 
Executive  Secretary 
Pamela  Tharl 
Bookkeeper 

Editorial  Board  of  the 
Arboretum  Bulletin 
Jan  M.  Silver 
Editor 
Jerry  Clark 

Jeannine  Curry,  Secretary 
Kelly  Dodson 
Valerie  Easton, 

Book  Review  Editor 
Timothy  Hohn 
Steven  R.  Lorton 
Virginia  Morell 
Brian  O.  Mulligan 
Jan  Pirzio-Biroli 
Sarah  Hayden  Reichard 
Mary  Robson 
Matsuo  Tsukada,  Ph.D. 

Harold  B.  Tukey,  Jr.,  Ph.D. 
Richard  Walker,  Ph.D. 

Advertising  Director 

Susie  Marglin  (206)  325-4510 


Center  for  Urban  Horticulture 

Clement  W.  Hamilton,  Ph.D. 

Acting  Director  of  Arboreta 
Brian  O.  Mulligan 
Director  Emeritus 
The  Washington  Park  Arboretum 
Timothy  Hohn 
Curator,  Plant  Collections 
John  A.  Wott,  Ph.D. 

Professor 

Continuing  Education 
Lynda  J.  Ransley 
Coordinator 


Concerning  This  Issue . . . 

The  Primus  species  on  the  cover  typify  spring  in  the 
Washington  Park  Arboretum,  the  time  of  rebirth 
and  new  life.  Beneath  the  blossoms  are  fifty-year-old  trees 
representing  the  “mature’  ' garden  specimen,  topic  of  our 
feature  interview.  In  the  interview,  Jan  Pirzio-Biroli  and 
Mareen  Kruckeberg  tackled  strategies  for  giving  new  life 
to  older  plants  and  gardens,  while  taking  a spouse’s  view- 
point into  consideration.  Take  Mareen ’s  dilemma  about 
what  to  do  with  her  husband  Art’s  aging,  damaged  se- 
quoia. Art  brought  the  tree  home  years  ago  as  a seedling 
given  to  attendees  at  a banquet  in  Washington,  D.C.  But 
what  happens  to  such  trees  when  they  become  old  and 
damaged?  Does  pruning  triumph  over  sentiment? 

Appropriate  to  our  emphasis  on  the  mature  garden  is 
some  discussion  of  the  first  one— -in  Washington  State. 
Precisely  three  hundred  years  after  Columbus  came  to  the 
New  World,  another  Spanish  explorer  arrived  on  the 
present-day  Washington  coast.  Kathy  Mendelson  explores 
the  history  of  the  first  garden  grown  here,  and  the  first  in- 
troduced trees,  now  gone. 

Green  Lake  also  has  one  tree  gone  this  month,  accord- 
ing to  Arthur  Lee  Jacobson,  author  of  the  forthcoming 
book  about  trees  in  this  popular  park.  Jacobson  solemnly 
noted  that  between  the  first  and  second  draft  of  his  article, 
a tree  was  cut  down,  leaving  the  Green  Lake  population  at 
2,472. 

Cutting  down  the  shaggy  carpet  of  green  grass  in  your 
back  yard  was  originally  designed  to  ruin  a teenager’s 
afternoon.  Arboretum  Curator  Timothy  Hohn  takes  it 
from  there  to  reveal  the  ornamental  grasses  that  grow  best 
in  our  climate  and  provide  the  highest  interest  in  gardens. 
You  can  add  further  color  to  the  landscape  throughout  the 
summer  by  trying  fuchsias,  a sign  of  summer  and  subject 
of  Mary  Robson's  article. 

Other  signs  of  the  times  are  sprouting  all  around  the 
Arboretum  to  get  you  from  point  # to  point  b.  Coordinator 
Lynda  J.  Ransley  explains  what  now  is  posted  if  you're 
seeking  some  guidance.  If  you  want  to  sing  the  blues  in  the 
Arboretum,  Daniel  Hinkley  suggests  ways  to  enhance 
your  landscape  with  plants  whose  foliage  is  blue,  gray,  or 
silver. 

Three  new  books  are  reviewed  in  this  issue,  and  many 
more  listed  by  Center  for  Urban  Horticulture  Librarian 
Valerie  Easton.  They  can  be  found  at  the  Elisabeth  C. 
Miller  Library  along  with  another  asset  who  assists  Val 
and  co-librarian  Laura  Lipton:  Martha  Ferguson.  Martha 
continues  to  help  the  Bulletin  maintain  accuracy  with  her 
diligent  research  and  fact  checking.  We  appreciate  her  ef- 
forts, and  those  of  the  contributors  to  this  issue  who  bring 
you  the  best  of  the  Washington  Park  Arboretum. 

Jan  Silver,  Editor 
The  Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


Typesetting  and  production  by  Scarlet  Letters,  Ltd. 


CONTENTS 


2 Strokes  of  Moonlight  by  Daniel  ].  Hinkley 

6 Some  Special  Trees  of  Green  Lake  by  Arthur  Lee  Jacobson 

9 Working  with  the  Mature  Garden: 

Mareen  Kruckeberg  by  Jan  Pirzio-Biroli 

13 Garden  Waves  of  Grain  by  Timothy  Hohn 

18 Hardy  Fuchsias:  An  Antique  Addiction  for 

Your  Garden  by  Mary  Robson 


Prunus  subhirtella  var.  pendula  in 
front  of  the  native  Arbutus  men- 
ziesu , discovered  by  Europeans  in 
the  late  18th  century.  (Below) 
Aerial  photo  of  the  Arboretum  in 
1952,  exactly  160  years  after  the 
Spanish  expeditions  in  which  the 
oldest  Washington  State  garden 
and  earliest  plant  discoveries  were 
made  (page  21).  Photos  by  J. 
Sneddon,  courtesy  Center  for  Ur- 
ban Horticulture. 


21 The  First  Washington  Garden  by  Kathy  Mendelson 

24 In  the  Washington  Park  Arboretum  by  Lynda  J.  Ransley 

Book  Reviews 

26  The  Yew  Tree  reviewed  by  Arthur  R.  Kruckeberg 

27  Hardy  Heather  Species  reviewed  by  Lloyd  Eighme 

27  . The  Book  of  the  Scottish  Garden  reviewed/^  Brian  O.  Mulligan 

28  New  on  the  Shelves  of  the 

Elisabeth  C.  Miller  Library  by  Valerie  Easton 


Wmmm 


In  Bulletin  articles,  an  asterisk  (*)  indicates  species,  including  varieties  and/or  forms,  that  can  be  found  in  the  Wash- 
ington Park  Arboretum;  a dagger  (t)  indicates  specimens  in  the  public  collections  of  the  University  of  Washington ’s 
Center  for  Urban  Horticulture. 

Cover:  The  pink  blossoms  of  Prunus  subhirtella  ‘Pendula1  (left)  and  Prunus  xyedoensis  (Yoshino  cherry).  Photo 
courtesy  of  David  MacDonald. 

The  Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin  is  published  quarterly,  as  a bonus  of  membership  in  The  Arboretum 
Foundation.  The  Arboretum  Foundation  is  a non-profit  organization  that  was  chartered  to  further  the  development  of 
the  Washington  Park  Arboretum,  its  projects  and  programs,  by  means  of  volunteer  service  and  fund-raising  projects. 
The  Washington  Park  Arboretum  is  administered  through  cooperative  efforts  between  the  University  of  Washington, 
its  Center  for  Urban  Horticulture,  and  the  City  of  Seattle  Department  of  Parks  and  Recreation.  The  programs  and  plant 
collections  are  a responsibility  of  the  Center  for  Urban  Horticulture. 

The  mission  of  the  Arboretum  Foundation  is  to  ensure  stewardship  for  the  Washington  Park  Arboretum,  a Pacific 
Northwest  treasure,  and  to  provide  horticultural  leadership  for  the  region.  This  stewardship  requires  effective  leader- 
ship, stable  funding,  and  broad  public  support.  For  membership  information,  write  to  The  Arboretum  Foundation,  Uni- 
versity of  Washington  (XD-10),  Seatde,  WA  98195  or  call  (206)  325-4510.  Articles  on  gardening  and  horticulturally 
related  subjects  are  welcome.  Please  call  for  guidelines.  For  permission  to  reprint  any  part  of  the  Arboretum  Bulletin , 
please  contact  the  Arboretum  Foundation  for  written  permission.  © 1992  The  Arboretum  Foundation. 

For  information  about  the  activities  of  The  Arboretum  Foundation,  call  (206)  325-4510.  To  receive  information 
about  public  programs  and  lectures  of  the  Center  for  Urban  Horticulture,  please  call  (206)  543-8800  or  545-8033. 

Printed  on  50%  recycled  gloss  coated  paper  (10%  post-consumer  waste) 


Elaeagnus  angustifolia  (Russian  olive),  in  September  (upper  left).  Right,  Eucalyptus  niphophila 
(snow  gum).  Bottom  left,  Abies  concolor  ‘Glenmore’.  Bottom  right,  Cytisus  battandieri  (Atlas  broom). 
Frequently,  foliage  of  blue,  silver,  and  gray  tint  is  associated  with  yellow  flowers. 


2 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


Strokes 
of  Moonlight 

by  Daniel  J.  Hinkley 

Photos  by  Joy  Spurr 

t that  time  of  day  when  the  race  has  been 
run  and  a moment  of  contemplation  is 
called  to  order,  the  garden  awakens  with  silver- 
leaved plants  that  reflect  the  horizontal  rays  of  the 
sun  deposed. 

In  the  garden  or  landscape,  we  think  of  the  sil- 
ver-leaved plants  as  being  the  perfect  drapery  in  the 
front  of  which  we  plant  the  soft  and  easy  pastels. 
Yet  silver  is  a hue  that  serves  the  purposes  of  the 
gardener  to  his  or  her  ends  rather  than  dictating 
the  intended  effect.  It  communicates  equally  with 
the  bold  and  bright  colors,  cooling  the  overall  com- 
position in  full  sunshine,  as  well  as  enlivening  the 
space  of  a darkened  somber  comer.  A handful  of 
conifers,  broadleaf  shrubs,  and  deciduous  trees  are 
known  for  outstanding  silver  or  blue  foliage. 

Drought  Tolerance 

Shrubs,  trees,  and  herbaceous  perennials  have 
evolved  in  many  ways  to  conserve  that  most  pre- 
cious of  all  commodities:  water.  Often  denizens  of 
desert  or  alpine  environment,  the  gray,  silver,  and 
blue-leaved  plants  have  employed  an  assortment 
of  coverings  and  coatings  used  to  reduce  water 
loss  through  transpiration. 

Dense  hairs  (pubescence)  may  act  as  a biologi- 
cal air  conditioner.  These  minute  strands  of  plant 
tissue  cool  the  plant  surface  through  reflection  of 
the  sun’s  energy  and  increase  the  relative  humidi- 
ty at  the  leaf  surface  where  microscopic  openings, 
known  as  stomata,  are  found.  It  is  through  sto- 
mata that  water  is  lost  by  evaporation  when  they 
open  to  exchange  gases  with  the  atmosphere  for 
the  functions  of  photosynthesis  and  respiration. 
This  explains  why  many  plants  have  more  indu- 
mentum on  the  undersurface  of  the  leaf  where 
stomata  are  generally  found  in  greater  abundance. 

Plants  providing  the  horticulturist  with  a bril- 
liant bluish  gray  are  generally  those  whose  leaves 
or  needles  are  coated  with  a glaucous  coating  or 
waxy  bloom,  essentially  covering  the  plant’s 
tissue.  When  new  growth  begins  in  early  spring, 
this  layer  is  thick  and  lofty,  the  color  extraor- 
dinarily bright.  As  the  summer  progresses,  the 


layer  compacts.  The  color  becomes  duller  and 
fades  to  bluish  green  from  the  chlorophyll  of  the 
actual  leaf  blade  lying  beneath.  Petroleum-based 
pesticides,  such  as  dormant  oil  sprays,  will  dis- 
solve the  glaucous  covering,  converting  a blue- 
foliaged  plant  to  dark  green  within  minutes;  the 
growth  in  the  following  year  will  emerge  the  typi- 
cal color.  Our  native  Douglas-fir,  *Pseudotsuga 
menziesii , takes  on  a much  more  bluish  cast  from 
this  waxy  covering  in  populations  inhabiting  the 
drier  slopes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Whatever 
means  the  individual  species  employs,  the  end 
result  is  a lowering  of  the  transpiration  rate  of  the 
plant  tissue. 

The  Conifers 

Conifers  employ  the  waxy-bloom  mode  rather 
than  hairs  to  reduce  water  loss.  Abies  concolor 
‘Candicans’  and  * A.  concolor  ‘Glenmore’  selec- 
tions of  the  white  fir  that  is  native  to  Oregon  and 
California,  have  broad  needles  of  brightest  blue- 
silver.  Their  growth  habit  is  irregular  and  must 
be  staked  early  on  if  a single  upright  leader  is 


Glossary 

Compound  leaf  is  a leaf  whose  blade  con- 
sists of  two  or  more  leaflets. 

Coppice  means  to  cut  a plant  off  near  the 
ground  to  induce  sprouts  or  root  suckers. 

Evapotranspiration  is  loss  of  water  from 
the  soil,  both  by  evaporation  and  by  transpira- 
tion from  the  plants  growing  in  it. 

Indumentum  is  the  hairiness  on  the  under- 
side of  rhododendron  leaves. 

Lanceolate  leaves  are  shaped  like  a lance 
head. 

Panicle  is  a branched  flower  cluster. 

Pinnately  compound  leaf  is  a compound 
leaf  having  leaflets  arranged  at  intervals  on 
each  side  of  an  axis. 

Pubescence  is  hairiness,  as  on  leaves. 

Simple  leaves  have  undivided  blades. 

Stomata  (sometimes  stomates;  singular  is 
stoma  or  stomate)  refers  to  the  tiny,  very 
numerous  pores  in  the  epidermis  of  leaves  and 
young  stems. 

Taxonomy  is  the  scientific  classification 

system  of  flora  and  fauna  in  which  they  are 
ranked  according  to  genus,  species,  variety,  etc. 

Transpiration  is  the  loss  of  water  vapor 
from  the  surfaces  of  leaves  and  stems. 

Type  variety  indicates  the  variety  of  the 
plant  upon  which  the  description  was  first  based. 


Vol.  55:1  Spnng  1992 


3 


desired.  Abies  concolor  ‘Glenmore’  can  be  seen 
in  the  Washington  Park  Arboretum  east  of  the 
legume  section  near  the  Broadmoor  fence.  The 
brilliant  blue  of  many  select  forms  of  the  Colorado 
blue  spruce  ( Picea  pungens ) is  a tempting  selec- 
tion for  many  gardeners.  However,  in  my  experi- 
ence, this  tree  is  not  well  adapted  to  our  cool, 
moist  climate.  Though  it  survives,  it  generally  be- 
comes an  unsightly  feature  of  the  landscape. 

Broadleafed  Evergreens 

Broadleafed  evergreens  also  may  have  glaucous 
leaves  but,  as  in  the  genus  Rhododendron , pubes- 
cence is  common.  With  leaves  intensely  shrouded 
in  white,  *Zenobia  pulverulenta  is  a lovely  plant 
to  enliven  a semi-shaded  corner  in  the  garden.  It 
forms  an  arching  shrub  to  six-feet  tall  and  pro- 
duces grayish  leaves  undercoated  with  a brilliant 
white.  Nodding  clusters  of  white,  urn-shaped 
flowers  are  produced  in  early  summer  and  are 
beautiful  in  combination  with  the  white  of  the  foli- 
age. Zenobia  can  be  seen  near  the  Pier  is  collec- 
tion, north  of  Rhododendron  Glen  in  the  Arbore- 
tum. It  is  available  from  Woodlanders,  Inc.,  1128 
Colleton  Avenue,  Aiken,  South  Carolina  29801. 

Taller  growing  and  more  vigorous  silver-leaved 
“evergreens”  may  be  found  in  the  genus  * Euca- 
lyptus, located  at  the  south  end  of  the  Arboretum 
near  the  Chilean  firebush  and  Hebe  species.  The 
ranks  of  eucalyptophiles  shrank  during  our  recent 
back-to-back  winter  losses,  yet  some  may  still 
have  a species  or  two  in  their  gardens — probably 
one  of  the  three  species  that  have  proven  them- 
selves the  hardiest. 

* Eucalyptus  niphophila , the  snow  gum,  has 
large  leathery  lanceolate  leaves  of  blue  gray  and 
will  eventually  grow  to  a large  tree  in  our  climate, 
to  fifty  feet  or  more.  The  trunk  becomes  white 
with  age,  showing  streaks  of  red  through  tears 
and  rips  of  its  shaggy  bark.  Both  * Eucalyptus 
gunnii  and  E.  archeri  begin  their  lives  producing 
the  familiar  silver-dollar  leaves  of  juvenile  growth 
and  later  revert  to  leaves  more  lanceolate  in 
shape.  These  species  are  more  diminutive  than 
the  snow  gum  and  will  produce  a tall  shrub  or 
small  tree,  easily  coppiced  to  retain  the  brilliant 
blue  silver  of  the  juvenile  foliage. 

Deciduous  Trees  and  Shrubs 

Deciduous  trees  or  shrubs  with  silvery  foliage 
include  * Elaeagnus  angustifolia , which  eventually 
will  form  a very  large  shrub  or  medium-sized  tree. 
Hardy  as  a granite  paver  and  used  extensively  in 


wind  breaks,  perhaps  the  utility  of  this  tree  has 
kept  us  from  considering  it  as  a worthy  ornament 
to  our  gardens.  The  willowy,  slightly  spiny 
branches  sport  gray  leaves  with  platinum  under- 
sides of  a quality  seen  only  in  other  species  of  this 
genus,  such  as  * Elaeagnus  pungens , an  evergreen 
species,  as  well  as  the  closely  related  genus  Shep- 
herdia , a low  deciduous  shrub  of  western  North 
America.  In  this  case,  the  color  is  provided  from 
silver  scales  borne  on  the  stems  and  leaf  under- 
sides. Even  the  fruit  appears  as  if  it  has  been  spat- 
tered by  a careless  nearby  application  of  silvery 
metallic  paint.  The  flowers  borne  in  spring, 
creamy  white,  are  overwhelmingly  fragrant.  Find 
Elaeagnus  spp.  near  the  Lilac  Section  of  the  Arbo- 
retum. 

Mountain  ashes  are  remarkable  large  shrubs  or 
small  specimen  trees  for  the  small-sized  urban 
landscape,  and  also  for  a mixed  border.  In  the  Ar- 
boretum, *Sorbus  species  of  the  taxonomic  sec- 
tion Aria  are  distinguished  from  other  species  in 
the  same  genus  by  their  simple,  rather  than  com- 
pound, leaves.  Many  species  within  this  section 
also  are  distinctive  for  the  gray  or  whitish  cast  to 
leaves  provided  by  a dense  hairy  pubescence.  The 
beautiful  white  undersurface  of  the  leaves  of  *Sor- 
bus  aria  has  given  rise  to  its  common  name,  the 
white  beam.  Another  remarkably  beautiful 
species  in  this  section  is  * Sorbus  folgneri.  It  has 
relatively  small  leaves  on  willowy  stems  which 
droop  in  an  elegant  and  graceful  form.  The  leaves 
are  silver  gray  above  and  intensely  silver  white 
beneath,  exposed  on  the  slightest  breeze. 

*Sorbus  folgneri  often  is  confused  with  a near- 
by impostor  when  visitors  encounter  it  in  my  gar- 
den. The  weeping  silver-leaf  pear,  *Pyrus  salici- 
folia  ‘Pendula’,  has  similar  pendulous  branches 
bearing  small  gray-silver  leaves.  The  grace  and 
small  stature  of  this  tree  make  it  an  excellent 
selection  for  the  small  garden  setting.  Though  it 
does  flower  and  may  even  set  small  inedible  pears, 
it  is  grown  as  a foliage  plant  and  is  useful  in  the 
shrubbery,  mixed  border,  or  as  a specimen  in  the 
lawn.  I've  planted  it  in  a bed  of  many  silvery- 
leaved  plants  including  a favorite  willow,  *Salix 
elaeagnos.  The  leaves  of  this  willow  are  remark- 
ably similar  to  those  of  rosemary;  in  fact,  the 
species  name  was  changed  from  S.  rosmarinifolia . 
Salix  elaeagnos  becomes  a large  shrub  or  small 
tree;  however,  it  can  be  easily  coppiced  to  produce 
vigorous,  but  controllable,  growth  in  the  small 
garden. 


4 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


Larger  hairs  coat  the  leaves  and  stems  of  Bud - 
dleia  nivea  var.  nivea , a Chinese  species  of  butter- 
fly bush.  The  flowers  of  this  species  are  a bit  on 
the  disappointing  side,  considering  the  potential 
found  in  this  genus  for  large  terminal  panicles  of 
colorful  and  fragrant  flowers  coveted  by  butterflies 
and  bees.  It  is  for  the  intense  silvery-felted  leaves 
that  I grow  the  species  and  have  planted  it  near  a 
trio  of  large-leaved  red  Japanese  barberries  (* Ber- 
beris  thunbergii  ‘Royal  Clark').  The  leaves  are 
regularly  petted  by  visitors  as  they  pass  by.  The 
largest  leaved  of  all  the  buddleias,  *B.  nivea  var. 
yunnanensis , can  be  found  at  the  south  end  of  Ar- 
boretum Drive  East  near  the  Eucalyptus , directly 
east  of  the  Chilean  firebush  across  from  the  Look 
out  parking  lot.  The  leaves  are  immense  for  this 
genus,  to  1 5 inches,  and  though  a striking  silver 
gray,  are  not  nearly  as  felted  as  the  type  variety. 

Foliage  silvers  can  be  brought  to  the  garden 
through  variegation  as  well.  Perhaps  my  most  ex- 
citing addition  to  the  garden  this  year  was  a new 
variegated  form  of  elderberry  known  as  Sambucus 
racemosa  ‘PulverulentaL  The  pinnate  foliage  is 


slightly  contorted  but  brilliantly  splashed  with 
white.  The  color  is  stable  throughout  the  summer 
months,  unlike  many  variegated  elderberries  that 
fade  as  the  leaves  age.  It  will  produce  a multi- 
stemmed plant  to  twelve  feet  and  its  delightful 
white  foliage  provides  an  ideal  backdrop  for  many 
rich  colors  planted  in  combination. 

With  thoughtful  selection,  effective  placement 
of  plants  in  our  gardens  can  extend  the  time  of 
pleasure  into  late  evening.  Unlike  the  quest  of  the 
Olympiad,  silver  foliage  in  our  gardens  should  be 
considered  golden.  It  brings  to  the  landscape  sub- 
tle moonlit  strokes  on  our  frequent  overcast  days 
or  late  summer  evenings. 


Daniel  Hinkley  is  an  instructor  of  horticulture  at  Ed- 
monds Community  College,  Edmonds,  Washington. 
He  is  a member  of  the  board  of  The  Arboretum  Foun- 
dation and  owns  Heronswood,  a rare  plant  nursery  in 
Kingston,  Washington. 

Photographer  Joy  Spurr  is  a member  of  Unit  81  of 
The  Arboretum  Foundation.  Her  plant  photos  are  pub- 
lished internationally. 


JTolbak’s  Greenhouse 


& Nursery. 


Garden  Center 
Nursery 

Floral  Boutique 
Gift  (Shop 

Open  7 days,  9:30  to  6 


Phone:  483-5000 
(from  Bellevue:  454-1951) 
13625  NE  175th  in  Woodinville 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


5 


Some  Special  Trees 
of  Green  Lake 

by  Arthur  Lee  Jacobson 

Green  Lake  is  Seattle's  most  heavily  visited 
park.  In  its  fame  as  a local  natural  attraction 
it  may  not  be  as  dominant  as  New  York  City’s 
Central  Park,  yet  Seattle  offers  an  enviable  abun- 
dance of  parkland  and  greenery.  Green  Lake’s 
trees  are  a most  impressive  collection,  and  I re- 
cently wrote  a book  about  them  because  so  many 
people  love  the  place. 

Of  the  162  different  kinds  of  trees  at  the  park, 
totalling  2,472  individual  specimens,  here  are 
three  Green  Lake  trees  that  stir  my  heart  each 
spring. 

American  White  Elm 
Ulmus  americana 

Seattle  has  been  spared  the  elm  disease  that  dev- 
astated most  of  Earth's  temperate  zone,  so  our 
elms  comprise  a “refuge"  population.  Fate  has 
seen  to  it  that  Seattle,  anomalous  in  having  no  na- 
tive elms,  has  become  a city  well  stocked  with 
numerous  kinds  brought  from  elsewhere.  They 
grow  to  perfection  in  this  mild  climate,  not  being 
picky  about  soil. 

My  special  favorite  is  an  American  white  elm 
(* Ulmus  americana).  This  fine  tree  stands  with 
three  of  its  peers  and  a European  cousin  ( *U . 
minor ) atop  Elm  Hill  (between  the  Bathhouse 
Theater  and  the  nearby  parking  lot,  at  the  lake’s 
northwest  corner).  These  elms,  along  with  dozens 
of  flowering  crabapple  trees  donated  by  the  Seattle 
Garden  Club,  were  planted  at  Green  Lake  in  1932 
as  a living  memorial  to  commemorate  the  bicen- 
tennial of  George  Washington's  birth.  Sixty  years 
later,  the  "crabs’’  still  rekindle  their  cheerfully 
bright  blossoms  every  April  and  May,  and  the 
elms  are  mature  shade  trees  of  noble  size. 

No  elm  grows  larger  or  is  more  beautiful  than 
the  American  white  elm.  This  species  has  all  the 
inspiring  presence  of  a grand  cathedral,  strong  yet 
graceful.  If  you  prefer  a secular  symbol,  the 
Brooklyn  Bridge  will  do.  Nothing  about  the  tree 
is  crudely  proportioned  or  objectionable.  Behold- 
ing its  swooping  branches  and  fine  tracery  of 
branchlets  symmetrically  radiating  upward,  out- 
ward, and  finally  downward  from  the  tall  pillar- 
like trunk,  can  make  us  sigh  with  pleasure.  Every- 


thing about  the  tree  people  love:  strength,  great 
size,  pleasing  shape,  and  elegance:  a monumental 
beauty. 

Pragmatists  among  us  point  out  that  elms  are 
notorious  "gross  feeders"  with  rapacious  root 
systems,  that  the  crotch  splits  and  large  limbs  fall, 
and  that  the  wafer-like  seeds  of  spring  can  be  an 
ankle-high  nuisance.  Nonetheless,  when  we  judge 
by  looks  alone,  American  white  elm  is  an  example 
of  nature's  best.  Frangois  Andre  Michaux  (1770- 
1855),  a keen,  widely  traveled  naturalist,  ended  a 
lengthy  account  of  the  tree: 

Such  are  the  few  and  unimportant  uses  of  the 
white  elm  in  the  United  States;  it  is  far  in- 
ferior to  the  European  elm  which  is  a tree  of 
very  extensive  utility,  and  it  deserves  atten- 
tion in  the  Old  World  only  as  the  most  mag- 
nificent vegetable  of  the  temperate  zone. 

Coast  Redwood 
Sequoia  sempervirens 

Along  with  the  elms,  Earth's  three  redwood 
genera  thrive  at  Green  Lake.  My  favorite  is  coast 
redwood  (* Sequoia  sempervirens ),  represented  by 
a grove  of  six  in  the  Pitch  & Putt  golf  course  at 
the  park's  extreme  southern  end.  These  six  wrere 
planted  in  1947,  and  the  largest  now  has  a com- 
manding trunk,  deeply  furrowed  and  richly  cinna- 
mon red,  AVi  thick. 

Coast  redwoods  grow  from  southwest  Oregon 
to  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains.  The  tallest  are  al- 
most 375  feet,  which  is  nearly  50  feet  higher  than 
any  tree  known  in  Washington.  It  is  their  neck- 
craning  height,  attractive  red  bark,  mammoth 
trunks,  and  romantic  history  that  makes  us 
cherish  redwoods.  I know  these  trees  as  well  as 
any,  having  climbed  to  130  feet  in  one,  swaying 
gently  in  the  wind  with  its  supple  shaft,  while 
startled  birds  gulped,  as  it  were,  at  seeing  a human 
in  their  realm.  On  another  occasion  in  a Seattle 
redwood  grove,  I witnessed  something  that  was  al- 
most miraculous.  The  spring  had  been  strangely 
dry  and  rainless,  but  while  taking  a walk  before 
sunset,  I knelt  to  see  on  the  dusty  ground  many 
redwood  seeds  sprouting.  That  night  rain  came. 

I was  deeply  impressed.  When  you've  hugged 
trees,  pruned  them,  grown  them,  measured  them, 
photographed  and  drawn  them,  and  fashioned 
items  from  their  wood,  then  their  mysteries  must 
contend  with  your  own  strong  feelings  of  awe  and 
appreciation. 

( continued , page  8) 


6 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


71  st  St./ 

70th  St.  j I 

68th  St  | 1 

67th  St./  /. 

4tJ 

w 

Green  Lake 


Map  prepared  by  Joy  Jacobson.  Courtesy  of 
Arthur  Lee  Jacobson  fivm  the 
forthcoming  book  Trees  of  Green  Lake. 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


7 


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White  Willow 
Salix  alba 

Lake  shores,  riversides — even  giant  mud  pud- 
dles— generally  are  well  supplied  with  alder  and 
willow  trees.  Green  Lake  is  no  exception,  having 
over  80  alders  and  a hundred  willows.  Much  to 
my  gleeful  surprise,  I found  a unique  individual, 
the  first  I'd  seen:  a purebred,  non-hybrid,  non- 
varietal white  willow  ( Salix  alba).  Although  the 
tree  is  common  in  Europe,  North  Americans  cul- 
tivate this  species  almost  exclusively  in  its  various 
hybrids  and  garden  varieties.  No  wonder — they 
are  all  better  looking  than  the  original  version. 
But  still,  just  as  we  cannot  fairly  judge  a good 
glass  of  wine  until  we've  tasted  bad,  so  it  is  with 
trees.  We  might  not  fully  value  selected  varieties 
until  we  see  from  whence  they  originated. 

Green  Lake's  lone  white  willow  is  in  a thicket 
at  the  south  end  of  the  lake  surrounded  by  gold- 
twig  willows  (* Salix  alba  var.  vitellina)  and  native 
black  willows  (*S.  lasiandra).  It  cuts  a poor  figure 
and  would,  if  it  disappeared,  be  missed  by  no  one. 
Still,  regardless  of  how  plain  its  appearance  may 
be,  I love  it  for  its  rarity.  To  find  rare  trees  for  the 
first  time,  after  reading  about  them  for  years,  is  a 
real  thrill,  a dream  come  true,  that  all  tree  fans  in- 
dulge in  occasionally. 

In  addition  to  the  three  species  just  singled  out, 
Green  Lake  boasts  some  champion-sized  trees 
mentioned  in  the  Washington  State  Big  Tree  Pro- 
gram. It  also  has  some  flamboyantly  colorful 
trees.  In  general,  the  park  is  home  to  an  assorted, 
well-varied  collection  of  what  we  might  call 
“ordinary"  ornamental  trees.  I've  met  them  all, 
and  regarding  each  kind  can  let  loose  a torrent  of 
words.  But  the  purpose  is  nothing  more  than  to 
encourage  you  to  derive  equal  joy  from  nature,  in 
whichever  of  her  creations  touches  the  most  re- 
sponsive chords  of  your  awareness.  Warmth,  re- 
freshment, buoyancy,  and  reverence  are  human- 
ity’s most  treasured  sensations,  and  are  free. 


Arthur  Lee  Jacobson  authored  Trees  of  Seattle  and 
the  forthcoming  Trees  of  Green  Lake , due  in  book 
stores  this  spring. 

Reference 

Michaux,  Frangois  Andre.  1817-18.  The  North 
American  Sylva.  Paris:  C.D.  Hautel.  Translated  from 
Histoire  des  Arbres  Forestiers  de  l ' Amerique  Septentri- 
onale , 1810-13.  Paris:  L.  Houssmann  et  d’ Hautel. 


8 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


Working  with  the  Mature  Garden: 

Mareen  Kruckeberg 

by  Jan  Pirzio-Biroli 

Photos  by  Joy  Spun* 


Mareen  Kruckeberg  and  her  husband,  Arthur,  have  lived  in  Richmond  Beach,  Washington,  since 
November  1958.  Mareen  runs  MsK,  a rare  plant  nursery,  and  Art  is  professor  emeritus  of 
botany,  University  of  Washington. 

Enter  the  Kruckebergs’  quiet  four-acre  enclave  through  a wooden  fence,  bordering  the  residential 
street  to  the  west.  Heading  east,  the  driveway  divides  two  important  parts  of  the  garden.  South  of  the 
driveway,  near  the  entrance  gate,  you  find  yourself  in  an  area  where  the  Kruckebergs  eliminated  old 
pines,  erstwhile  Douglas-firs,  and  out-of-favor  rhododendrons  for  more  light,  space,  and  Mareen ’s  newer 
plantings.  Across  the  driveway  (north)  is  Art’s  experimental  garden.  Still  walking  several  hundred  feet 
east,  toward  the  driveway’s  head,  you  find  a main  house,  built  in  1903  (south)  and  a small  guest  house 
(north).  The  driveway  culminates  in  the  nursery  work  area.  Beyond  the  nursery  greenhouse,  down  an 
eastern  slope,  is  a three-acre  meadow. 


Mareen  Kruckeberg  pruned  this  Comus  mas  to  better  show  its  beautiful  form. 


Retired  Arboretum  naturalist  Jan  Pirzio-Biroli 
explores  with  Mareen  the  mature  Kruckeberg 
garden  and  its  evolution  over  33  years.  How  does 
the  garden  change?  How  do  the  Kruckebergs  deal 


with  older  plantings?  Do  they  still  add  to  their  col- 
lection? How  do  they  negotiate  creative  differ- 
ences about  what  stays  and  what  goes?  Following 
is  the  result  of  several  exchanges  between  Mareen 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


9 


and  Jan  during  February  and  March  1992. 

Jan  Pirzio-Biroli:  What  plantings  were  on  your 
property  when  you  purchased  it? 

Mareen  S.  Kruckeberg:  There  were  very  few 
plants  when  we  moved  in.  A row  of  Douglas-fir 
was  along  the  road  near  where  the  fence  now  is, 
and  four  large  spruce  and  white  pine  also  were 
scattered  in  the  front  area.  Also,  in  this  area  was  a 
very  large  and  beautiful  * Abies  concolor , which  I 
gave  credit  for  clinching  the  sale. 

The  garden  plots  that  we  inherited  were  10' 
squares  cut  out  of  the  grass  and  planted  with  large 
bearded  iris  in  rows.  These  were  easy  to  modify, 
but  a laburnum  and  an  annual  lobelia  refused  to 
go  quietly.  Seedlings  kept  popping  up  for  years, 
and  the  double-flowered  narcissus  and  one  single 
red  tulip  took  a long  time  to  expire. 

The  only  eyesore  that  was  scheduled  for  quick 
removal  was  a curved  row  of  old  * Cotoneaster 
horizontalis  across  the  middle  of  the  front  lawn. 
The  tent  caterpillars  had  marred  any  beauty  or  in- 
terest it  might  have  had.  Another  reason  for  its 
removal  was  the  effect  it  had  on  the  view  from  the 
house.  Your  eye  was  stopped  by  the  twiggy 
branches,  and  the  area  beyond  was  lost.  Now  you 
are  visually  led  out  to  the  front  with  an  inviting 
path  both  left  and  right. 

JPB:  Did  you  have  a preconceived  idea  when  you 
acquired  your  property  what  you  would  do  imme- 
diately? 

MSK:  Not  really.  We  brought  quite  a few  plants 
with  us,  but  they  were  lost  in  this  large  area,  so 
we  essentially  had  a clean  slate  to  start.  My  dad 
was  planning  to  retire  at  this  time,  so  my  parents 
joined  us  soon  after  we  moved  in.  Grandpa  (as  he 
was  called  by  the  whole  neighborhood)  finished 
the  double  garage  into  a cozy  home,  and  was  in- 
dispensable from  then  on.  He  built  a fence  around 
the  four  acres  and  made  a point  out  of  having  it  on 
the  property  rather  than  on  the  line.  I’ve  had 
reason  to  be  grateful  for  his  good  judgement  on 
that  and  many  other  decisions  since.  Years  later 
my  neighbor  told  me  that  the  most  wonderful 
thing  she  could  have  under  the  Christmas  tree 
was  not  jewels  or  furs — it  was  a Grandpa. 

His  contribution  to  the  garden  was  a large 
square  sunny  area,  fenced  to  keep  the  dogs  out, 
and  devoted  to  the  best  vegetable  garden  I have 
ever  seen.  This,  plus  a large  play  area  and  fire  pit, 
filled  the  back  garden,  so  the  landscaped  area  was 
between  the  house  and  the  road..  We  soon  defined 
planting  areas,  and  enlarged  them  many  times  as 


the  years  went  by.  I gave  a lot  of  thought  to  the 
placement  of  plants,  but  still  some  of  the  best 
combinations  came  quite  by  accident. 

An  example  is  the  combination  of  *Pieris  and 
the  * Rhododendron  with  *Eucryphia  in  back, 
which  so  many  people  have  loved.  The  whole 
thing  just  pulled  together  beautifully,  but  it’s  not 
anything  that  we  planned;  it’s  just  the  way  they 
worked  out  as  they  matured.  You  couldn’t  see 
that  combination  when  they  were  all  foot-high 
plants,  but  as  they  matured  they  just  all  went 
together. 

JPB:  I think  this  is  true  of  all  gardens.  How  have 
things  changed? 

MSK:  One  of  the  biggest  changes  came  when  my 
dad  died.  We  had  done  extensive  planting  up 
above,  and  also  moved  down  to  the  meadow, 
keeping  a large  area  clear  for  horses.  Art  made  an 
effort  to  keep  the  vegetable  garden,  but  neither  of 
us  had  Grandpa’s  know-how  or  patience  to  do  an 
adequate  job.  So,  we  left  the  fence,  but  Art  took 
the  area  east  of  the  main  road  over  as  a holding 
place  for  his  plants,  and  we  have  continued  to  use 
it  as  a work  area. 

Another  change  started  when  I realized  the 
number  of  plants  in  the  garden  that  were  taking 
up  precious  space  and  giving  nothing  in  return. 
Many  of  these  had  been  filler  plants  or  plant  buff- 
ers to  the  road.  About  twelve  years  ago,  I started  a 
clearing  campaign  and  it’s  been  going  on  ever 
since.  A double-trunked  hemlock  needed  to  be 
topped,  so  I asked  the  tree  cutter  to  leave  the 
trunks  at  about  40  feet.  A rotting  hemlock 
seemed  a good  nesting  site  for  a woodpecker.  A 
visitor  inspected  it  last  year,  so  maybe  this  year 
I’ll  have  a boarder. 

We  have  left  quite  a few  trunks  now,  such  as 
the  ones  from  our  Bing  cherries  which  had 
stopped  bearing  fruit.  When  those  were  in  bloom, 
they  were  one  of  the  most  spectacular  parts  of  the 
garden.  Some  of  the  trunks  are  for  birds  or  vines, 
and  others  for  the  beauty  of  the  lichen  and  moss- 
covered  bark.  They  blend  into  the  landscape  very 
nicely. 

JPB:  I always  think  of  the  part  between  the  house 
and  the  road  as  a less  intensively  gardened  area. 
MSK:  It’s  being  gardened  more  now.  In  the  pro- 
cess of  clearing,  I have  opened  up  some  choice 
planting  sites  that  had  been  wasted  areas,  and  it’s 
wonderful.  No  more  half-hour  searches  to  find  a 
spot  for  one  plant — at  least  for  a while.  I made  one 
part  into  a special  little  fern  area  because  I do  love 


10 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


the  ferns;  I thought  it  would 
be  a nice  way  to  greet  people 
and  to  tell  them  it’s  one  of  my 
favorite  plants,  by  giving 
them  a really  prime  spot  like 
that. 

JPB:  One  of  the  things  you’re 
implying  is  that  you’re  still 
moving  plants  around  all  the 
time.  The  mature  garden 
never  becomes  a static  garden. 

MSK:  Never.  In  deciding 
about  plants,  I literally  take 
time  to  go  out  and  look  at 
them  and  question:  “Is  this 
plant  really  worth  the  space 
that  it’s  taking?’  ’ I love  grow- 
ing plants  both  from  seed  and  cuttings,  and  there 
is  always  something  new  to  try.  When  I am  suc- 
cessful, then  I have  the  fun  of  working  a new  plant 
into  the  landscape.  It’s  important  to  be  selective 
with  a mature  garden. 

I pruned  a mature  Quercus  sadleriana.  It  took 
me  a long  time  because  I just  did  a tiny  branch  at 
a time,  but  the  results  looked  beautiful.  As  I 
worked,  I would  stand  back  and  from  looking  at  it 
you  couldn’t  tell  it  had  been  cut.  A week  after  I 
was  done,  I asked  Art  what  he  thought  of  the 
pruning.  He  looked  out  and  said,  “I  thought  it 
looked  good.  Of  course  I didn’t  notice  it  until  you 
just  mentioned  it  now.’’ 

I have  one  area  that  is  over  crowded,  which 
I've  studied  many  times.  There  are  mature  trees 
that  can’t  be  moved,  but  they  are  all  so  special 
that  I've  decided  I have  to  put  up  with  the  mistake 
we  made  years  ago.  Pruning  has  helped,  but  I feel 
I owe  an  apology  to  the  plants.  They  can't  show 
off  their  individual  beauty  and  character  to  the 
fullest  when  they  have  to  share  space. 

JPB:  A mature  garden  involves  overcrowding. 
Are  excess  plants  moved  down  to  the  meadow? 
MSK:  We  seldom  use  the  meadow  for  excess 
plants.  Art  uses  quite  a large  space  as  a holding 
area,  and  five  apple  trees  plus  one  prune  tree  take 
a large  sunny  area.  The  rest  is  being  planted  most- 
ly with  trees  and  we  consider  it  to  be  our  private 
arboretum.  We  have  lost  our  meadow  in  all  but 
name,  but  we  both  love  unusual  trees  so  we  made 
the  choice. 

JPB:  Where  do  you  and  Art  differ  in  deciding 
what  goes  and  what  stays? 


MSK:  We  do  have  our  differences  about  plants 
and  landscaping,  but  we  can  usually  work  it  out 
amicably.  Quite  often  an  initial  response  to  a pro- 
posal can  be  blunt,  but  given  time  the  idea  doesn’t 
seem  quite  as  bad.  So  we  usually  live  with  our  dif- 
ferences for  a while  and  the  solution  becomes 
easier.  Most  plants  that  can’t  be  moved  can  be  re- 
placed. We  have  such  a wealth  of  plants  to  choose 
from  as  a result  of  our  propagation  efforts  that  the 
loss  of  even  something  special  isn’t  as  important 
as  it  used  to  be. 

JPB:  This  place  is  in  constant  motion.  What  do 
you  see  as  the  future?  Do  you  have  any  long- 
range  plans  or  do  you  simply  make  your  plans  as 
you  go? 

MSK:  Mostly  I make  plans  as  I go.  When  I’m  in 
the  garden,  I get  ideas  from  seeing  the  plants,  and 
combinations  work  themselves  out.  If  it’s  a good 
time  for  transplanting,  I can  carry  out  the  new 
plans  right  away.  If  not,  I have  a manila  folder  that 
holds  the  ideas  for  later. 

I’d  like  to  concentrate  on  the  garden — on  one 
bed  at  a time — and  complete  it.  This  should  be 
easy  to  accomplish,  but  it  presents  many  prob- 
lems. In  the  past,  the  nursery  has  taken  a lot  of 
my  time,  but  it’s  pretty  stable  now.  Propagation 
will  always  be  time  consuming,  but  that  is  for  the 
garden  as  well  as  the  nursery.  Now  it  is  important 
for  me  to  include  time  for  container  planting. 
This  is  the  year  I will  allow  it  some  priority  as 
many  of  the  established  containers  are  in  need  of 
re-doing. 

My  one  long-range  plan  over  the  years  had 
been  to  have  a stream  from  the  upper  level  flow- 
ing down  to  the  meadow  and  forming  a bog  at  the 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


11 


Ml/ 


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IN  THE  PACIFIC  NORTHWEST 


PViM  Qikd&AhllMed 


NATURE  SHOP 


Partway  Plaza  - rear  Red  Robin 

17310  Southcenter  Pkwy.,  Tukwila 


575-4001 


bottom.  I have  purchased  the  rock  and  had  water 
piped  to  the  starting  “spring,’ ’ but  it’s  a project 
that  has  lost  its  value  before  it  ever  got  started. 
My  trips  to  the  meadow  are  seldom  for  relaxation, 
so  instead  of  the  bog,  I’ve  substituted  simple  bird 
baths  and  feeding  areas  in  view  from  two  windows 
of  the  house. 

Maintaining  the  garden,  nursery,  and  con- 
tainers will  keep  me  busy  the  rest  of  my  gardening 
days. 

JPB:  Do  you  have  any  advice  for  other  gar- 
deners? 

MSK:  Keep  your  pruning  shears  handy  on  those 
walks  around  the  garden,  and  the  pruning  saw 
where  it  is  easy  to  find.  And  get  rid  of  plants  that 
you  don’t  really  care  about.  If  they’re  not  giving 
you  pleasure,  they’re  not  doing  their  job. 

Also  try  some  new  color  combinations  each 
season.  In  early  spring,  plant  white  crocus  and 
hepatica  under  a white-flowering  currant.  Try 
pink  Primula  kisoana  under  * Rhododendron 
mucronulatum  or  *R.  dauricum.  Cyclamen 
repandum  is  spectacular  under  *R.  albrechtii. 
The  lemon-yellow  Narcissus  bulbocodium  goes 
beautifully  under  * Corylopsis  spicata.  As  these 
fade,  other  blooms  and  other  combinations  will  be 
out  to  choose  from.  The  September  anemone  will 
be  the  focus  of  a white  flowering  bed  this  fall. 

JPB:  A question  for  the  mature  gardener : How 
do  you  differ  now  than  when  you  first  began? 
MSK:  Having  knowledge  that  comes  from  exper- 
ience. Thirty-nine  years  of  learning  from  books 
and  plants  and  friends. 

JPB:  What  do  you  wish  you  would  have  been  able 
to  plant  thirty  years  ago? 

MSK:  I grew  three  plants  of  Magnolia  campbellii 
from  seed.  I had  planned  one  for  the  garden,  but 
was  talked  out  of  it  by  a person  much  more 
knowledgeable  than  I.  He  knew  it  would  take  20 
years  to  bloom.  It  was  years  before  we  found  vi- 
able seed  again. 

I do  have  a grove  of  * Rhododendron  sut- 
chuenense  var.  geraldii  that  took  21  years  to 
reach  blooming  age.  We  have  had  many  years’  en- 
joyment from  the  mature  plants. 

JPB:  If  you  were  younger,  would  you  do  anything 
differently  than  what  you’ve  done? 

MSK:  No.  I have  gotten  a tremendous  amount  of 
enjoyment  and  satisfaction  from  the  garden  and 
the  nursery.  I can’t  think  of  anything  I would 
have  preferred  to  do. 


12 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


Garden  Waves 
of  Grain 

by  Timothy  Hohn 

nless  we  grew  up  on  a farm  or  call  the  plains 
states  home,  most  of  us  relate  to  grass  as  a 
convenient  ground  cover  known  as  the  home 
lawn.  Little  consideration  of  “grass”  as  a major 
component  of  the  botanical  world  infringes  on  the 
often  exhaustive  weekend  lawn  gardening  chores. 
As  the  principal  mower  of  vast  stretches  of  lawn 
in  the  neighborhood,  I gave  little  youthful  consider- 
ation to  the  grass  itself — except  in  considering  the 
potential  monetary  gains  of  charging  by  the  blade. 

By  way  of  lawn,  we  have  been  carrying  on  an 
intense,  and  often  expensive,  love/hate  garden  re- 
lationship with  grasses  for  decades.  By  way  of  our 
stomach,  our  relationship  with  grasses  in  the  form 
of  wheat,  corn,  oats,  and  other  grains  is  older  and 
more  inseparable.  Although  ubiquitous  under 
tooth  and  tred,  other  grasses  are  not  as  common 
in  the  garden  as  ornamental  plants.  Happily,  their 
status  is  changing  as  people  realize  that  ornamen- 
tal grasses  are  elegant,  versatile,  and  undemand- 
ing subjects  that  bring  color,  texture,  movement, 
and  sound  into  the  garden. 

Pacific  Northwest  gardeners  may  find  that  rec- 
ommendations in  reference  material  on  ornamen 
tal  grasses — including  rushes,  sedges,  and  some 
other  monocots — are  mostly  based  on  gardening 
conditions  quite  different  than  our  own.  With  this 
in  mind,  I established  a small  trial  plot  of  select  or- 
namental grasses  and  sedges  at  the  University  of 
Washington  Center  for  Urban  Horticulture 
(CUH),  aided  by  a generous  gift  from  grass  en- 
thusiast and  Arboretum  Foundation  member, 
Edith  Collins.  The  goal  of  this  trial  was  simply  to 
grow  these  ornamental  plants,  evaluate  their  per- 


Glossary 

Awn  is  a slender  (usually  terminal)  bristle. 

Culm  is  an  aerial  stem  of  a grass  or  sedge. 

Inflorescence  is  the  flower  cluster  of  a 
plant. 

Monocot  (monocotyledon)  is  a plant  whose 
embryo  has  one  cotyledon,  literally  “with  one 
[seed]  leaf.” 


formance,  and  make  recommendations  to  the  gar- 
dening public. 

Edith  Collins's  gift,  in  the  form  of  a large  credit 
with  Kurt  Bluemel,  Inc.,  a nursery  in  Baldwin, 
Maryland,  made  it  possible  to  select  some  “old 
standards”  and  some  new  clones,  a total  of  55 
taxa  for  trial.  This  is  a small  percentage  of  the  or- 
namental grasses  available  to  gardeners,  but  it 
seemed  like  a good  start.  The  plants  were  obtained 
in  spring  1990  and  were  grown  for  two  full  sea- 
sons. The  final  evaluation  took  place  in  fall  1991. 

The  site  chosen  at  the  Center  for  Urban  Horti- 
culture for  the  trial  plot  was  open  to  the  sun  on 
heavy,  landfill  soil  that  is  poorly  drained.  I hoped 
that  the  less-than-ideal  conditions  would  serve  to 
demonstrate  the  adaptability  of  each  plant  and  ex- 
pose potential  cultural  problems.  Predictably,  it 
turned  out  that  most  of  the  grasses  were  remark- 
ably tolerant  of  the  prevailing  conditions,  including 
a spartan  regime  of  maintenance  that  included  little 
in  the  way  of  irrigation,  fertilizer,  or  other  care. 

I gathered  a good  team  of  evaluators  to  lend  au- 
thority and  objectivity  to  the  trial.  The  team  rep- 
resented a range  of  individuals  with  varying 
demands  for  ornamental  plants.  The  “Grass  Gal- 
lery,” as  I fondly  refer  to  them,  consisted  of  Fred 
Hoyt,  site  supervisor  at  CUH;  Eric  Nelson,  local 
grass  gardener  and  aficianado;  Susanne  Foster, 
proprietor  of  Tissues  and  Liners,  a Woodinville, 
Washington,  nursery  specializing  in  ground 
covers  and  vines;  Scott  Pascoe,  landscape  archi- 
tect and  principal  of  SMP  Design,  Seattle;  and 
myself.  I enjoyed  our  stints  evaluating  the  “grass 
plot,”  as  it  became  known.  We  learned  a few 
things  to  share  with  you  about  some  interesting 
grasses. 

Based  on  trial  evaluations,  and  in  consideration 
of  the  prevailing  growing  conditions,  here  is  an 
account  of  the  plot's  premiere  performers: 

Briza  media : For  Early  Show 

We  were  so  impressed  with  the  early,  dense 
flowering  habit  of  this  small  grass  that  it  had  to  be 
entered  on  this  list.  The  tufted,  clump-forming 
mounds  of  deep-green  foliage  make  neat  little  pin- 
cushions 12  inches  tall.  Unexpectedly,  flower 
stalks  begin  to  burst  out  of  this  nest  of  foliage  as 
early  as  the  third  week  in  May.  The  inflorescences 
shoot  up  to  24  inches  or  more  in  a dense, 
maroon-tinted  green  mass  of  inflated,  oat-like 
spikelets.  The  curious  flowers  dangle  cloud-like 
above  the  foliage,  each  spikelet  shivering  in  the 
breeze — hence  the  common  name,  quaking  grass. 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


13 


Eric  Nelson 


Mffjfmi'  id 

jSffi 

yifufJ:*  'h  /iSi 

wmmm 

/fi*/  r fvJ 

Far  left,  Helictotrichon  sempervirens.  Calamagrostis 
species,  left.  Bottom,  Pennisetum  orientate. 
This  page,  Miscantlms  sinensis  ‘Arabesque’. 


As  the  flowers  age.  they  take  on  a light  straw 
color  and  remain  perched  atop  stiff  stems 
throughout  the  summer.  By  the  beginning  of  Sep- 
tember. the  show  is  over  and  the  inflorescences 
are  beginning  to  shatter.  This  grass  is  best,  then, 
for  early  and  mid-summer  displays  and  should  be 
grown  in  full  sun.  It  is  particularly  useful  in  rock 
and  cutting  gardens — the  dried  inflorescences  are 
long-lasting  and  can  be  dyed  for  an  unusual  effect. 
Calamagrostis  species:  Garden  Pillars 

Here's  a screaming  exclamation  point  in  the 
garden!  Plants  of  this  genus  are  the  most  strictly 
upright  of  all  the  ornamental  grasses.  We  grew 
two  selections  and  there  is  some  question  about 
the  correct  name  for  the  second  of  them:  Calama- 
grostis x acut [flora  ‘Stricta*  and  C.  arundinacea 
‘Karl  Foerster".  The  twro  selections  were  virtually 

j 

indistinguishable  to  the  committee;  both  were 
excellent.  It  is  the  flowers  and  the  stamina  of  their 
rigid,  vertical  orientation  that  impressed  the  com- 
mittee. 

Flowering  begins  in  early  June  with  the  rise  of 
succulent  stems  from  a leafy  base  that  has  been 
preparing  for  these  fireworks  since  mid  March. 
The  stems  begin  to  form  a skyward  column  of 
vegetation  revealing  loose,  open,  and  feathery  in- 
florescences. Upon  reaching  six  feet  or  more  in 
height,  the  inflorescence  becomes  tawny  with  a 
purplish  cast,  then  fades  to  light  buff  and  finally 
toasty  tan  by  late  summer.  From  early  summer 
through  fall  and  into  the  winter  the  entire  plant 
looks  like  a majestic,  feather-tipped  column  of 
closely  packed  reeds.  Hence,  the  common  name. 


feather  reed  grass.  These  plants  can  be  counted  on 
to  “stand  up*'  through  Seattle-area  winters,  leav- 
ing only  a brief  period  in  early  spring  when  they 
must  be  humbled  by  a severe  trimming  just  above 
the  newly  emerging  shoots.  As  one  of  the  most 
versatile  grasses  for  the  garden,  feather  reed  grass 
makes  a striking  accent,  lovely  small  groups,  and 
impressive  masses  of  swaying  stems  in  full  sun  or 
partial  shade. 

Cortaderia  selloana  cPumila’: 

Prominent  Plumes  and  Dwarf  Size 

This  pampas  grass  can  nestle  cozily  into  the 
smallest  garden  and  feel  right  at  home.  The  ever- 
green foliage  and  prominent  plumes  of  spikelets 
are  desirable  traits  of  the  standard  pampas  grass, 
Cortaderia  selloana , but  it's  just  too  big  for  some 
landscapes. 

‘Pumila'  is  a natural  dwarf  in  all  respects.  The 
rich-colored  green  foliage  rises  to  about  30  inches 
at  maturity  with  a dozen  or  more  flower  spikes 
adding  another  14  inches  when  they  appear  in 
September.  This  grass,  much  like  the  standard, 
looks  manufactured — it's  stout  and  rigid  in  many 
respects  with  the  foliage  arching  out  from  the  cen- 
ter in  predetermined  perfection.  The  flower  stalks 
are  thick  and  straight,  topped  by  dense,  bleached 
inflorescences  of  a gauzy,  cotton  candy-like  na- 
ture. The  plant  in  the  test  plot  was  frozen  back  to 
the  ground  in  December  1990,  but  it  came  back 
nicely  with  a fully  developed  tuft  of  foliage  by  the 
first  of  August  1991.  Its  stature  and  outstanding 
flowers  were  most  impressive  to  the  committee. 
These  plants  make  good  small  specimens  for  the 
border  or  can  be  grouped  for  an  exotic  effect. 

Helictotrichon  sempervirens : 

Evergreen  Blue  Oat  Grass 

Our  recommendation  here  is  based  more  on  ex- 
trapolation than  real  trial  evidence.  The  trial 
plants  were  slow  in  developing  and  we  attributed 
this  to  the  poorly  drained  soil  conditions.  Never- 
theless, the  committee  concurred  that  blue  oat 
grass  is  usually  an  outstanding  performer  in  this 
area  if  established  on  average  to  well-drained  soil. 

Helictotrichon  sempervirens  is  one  of  the  best 
blue  foliage  grasses,  particularly  in  this  area  of  the 
country  where  it  thrives  during  cool  summers 
with  low  humidity.  It  is  essentially  evergreen  in 
the  Puget  Sound  region  although  it  does  require 
‘Tombing”  in  the  spring  to  remove  old  foliage. 
Unlike  some  of  the  other  blue  grasses,  such  as 
Ely m us  and  Festuca  species,  blue  oat  grass  does 
not  need  frequent  division  to  remain  thrifty  and  it 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


15 


is  not  invasive.  Grown  as  a foliage  plant  in  an  at- 
tractive 2-3  globe,  the  interesting  straw-colored 
inflorescences  wave  casually  in  the  breeze  4-3  feet 
above  the  ground.  Imagine  in  a sunny  spot 
clumps  of  Helictotrichon  sempervirens  with  the 
complementary  color,  but  coarse  texture,  of 
Crambe  maritima  and  the  filigreed  texture  and 
light-yellow  flat  flower  clusters  of  Achillea 
‘Moonshine'. 

Miscanthus  sinensis  ‘’Arabesque’: 

The  Copper-to-Buff  Work  Horse 

This  genus  is  the  work  horse  of  ornamental 
grasses  for  continental  gardens.  Unfortunately  for 
us,  it  is  usually  just  a foliage  plant,  albeit  a nice 
one,  and  does  not  reliably  produce  its  spectacular 
flowering  shoots  in  our  cool  summers.  Within  the 
trial  we  actually  had  two  selections  of  Miscanthus 
that  produced  flowers  the  first  year  and  then  pro- 
duced them  earlier  and  in  greater  abundance  the 
second  year — an  exceptionally  cool  summer. 

Although  flowering  just  a bit  later  in  August 
than  Miscanthus  oligostachyus,  M.  ‘Arabesque' 
had  much  more  refined  foliage;  hence,  it  receives 
the  nod  over  the  latter.  Miscanthus  sinensis 
‘Arabesque’,  which  is  slightly  coarser  of  foliage 
texture  than  M.  sinensis  ‘Gracillimus’,  has  a very 
prominent  white  mid-rib  that  lends  a distinctive 
character.  It  makes  an  upright-arching  column  of 
handsome  foliage  to  nearly  four-feet  high  and 
wide,  shaped  like  a traditional  haystack.  The  in- 
florescences appear  in  mid-August  as  coppery- 
brown  nodding  whisks  18-24  inches  above  the 
foliage  and  then  eventually  dry  to  a light  buff  color 
with  a chaffy  appearance  that  is  best  seen  with  the 
benefit  of  backlight.  In  full  sun  exposures,  these 
are  bold  specimens  and  make  dramatic  groups  in 
large-scale  landscapes.  Modest  supplemental  ir- 
rigation is  beneficial  during  the  driest  part  of  the 
growing  season. 

Panicum  virgfatum  ‘Heavy  Metal’: 

A Blue-Green  Gem  with  Pink  Blush 

‘Heavy  Metal'  conjures  up  all  sorts  of  loud, 
brash,  and  brazen  botanical  images,  but  none 
would  befit  this  interesting  clone.  The  cultivar 
name,  I assume,  is  derived  from  the  metallic 
coloring  of  the  culms,  blades,  and  inflorescences 
of  this  blue-green  gem.  All  parts  of  the  plant  are 
glaucous  blue  and  tinged  or  highlighted  here  and 
there  with  pinks  and  purples — a very  delightful, 
somewhat  metallic  effect.  The  inflorescences  ap- 
pear at  the  beginning  of  August  and  also  have  the 
metallic  coloration.  However,  they  enhance  the 


appeal  by  having  a very  light,  diffuse  overall  tex- 
ture with  thin  wiry  stems  attached  to  the  in 
dividual  spikelets  that  dangle  out  in  their  own  dis- 
tinct spaces.  Altogether,  the  inflorescences  are 
reminiscent  of  the  clouds  of  bloom  from  the 
smoke  tree,  * Cot  in  us  coggygria. 

In  its  full  glory,  ‘Heavy  Metal'  is  slightly  more 
than  3 tall  with  an  erect  but  very  slender  profile- 
slim  stems  and  leaves  and  light,  airy  flowers.  It 
benefits  from  some  supplemental  watering  during 
the  summer  in  full  sun.  ‘Heavy  Metal'  received 
consistently  high  marks  from  the  committee  with 
one  exception:  it  has  little  winter  interest.  As  a 
specimen  for  the  rock  garden,  in  front  of  the  bor- 
der, or  as  a mass  to  accentuate  the  cloud-like 
blooms,  ‘Heavy  Metal'  is  a beautiful  grass. 

Panicum  virgatum  ‘Rotstrahlbusch’: 
Burgundy-Tinted  Leaves 

Much  like  its  relative  ‘Heavy  Metal',  Panicum 
virgatum  ‘Rotstrahlbusch'  is  a medium-size  grass 
with  airy  puffs  of  flowers  in  late  summer.  What 
really  impressed  the  committee,  though,  were  the 
burgundy-tinted  leaves.  ‘Rotstrahlbusch'  is  a bit 
coarser  than  ‘Heavy  Metal',  but  otherwise  they 
are  nearly  interchangeable  as  color  variants  of 
each  other. 

The  burgundy  color  of  this  clone  develops  at 
the  tips  of  the  leaves  as  they  elongate  and  spread 
during  the  season,  attaining  a rich,  burgundy- 
maroon  color  in  August  and  September  on  the 
outer  half  of  the  foliage.  Just  at  the  brightest  part 
of  the  leafy  show,  the  clouds  of  spikelets  emerge 
from  the  tallest  culms  in  green  and  wine  colors. 
One  could  make  use  of  this  grass  in  much  the 
same  way  as  the  highly-touted  Japanese  blood 
grass,  Imperata  cylindrica  ‘Red  Baron'.  The  at- 
tractive difference  here  is  the  addition  of  the 
smoky  red  clouds  of  spikelets  that  glow  and 
smolder  in  the  backlight  of  a setting  sun. 
‘Rotstrahlbusch’,  too,  benefits  from  full  sun  and 
some  supplemental  water  during  the  summer. 

Pennisetum  orientate: 

Bottlebrushes  of  Pink,  Mauve,  and  Buff 

This  plant’s  inflorescences  are  the  monocot 
version  of  the  bottlebrush  tree,  Callistemon  spp. — 
fuzzy,  dense,  and  gauzy  bottlebrushes  of  a pink, 
mauve,  and  buff  tone.  They  are  very  impressive, 
hence,  its  inclusion  here.  Green  shoots  begin  to 
appear  above  ground  level  in  mid  April  and  soon 
form  a light  green  hemisphere  about  14  inches 
above  the  soil.  Soon  after,  in  mid  to  late  June — 
long  before  most  other  species  of  this  genus — the 


16 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


bottlebrushes  begin  to  shoot  out  from  the  sphere 
in  dense  profusion.  The  pink  and  mauve  colora- 
tion is  most  prevalent  at  first,  mixed  with  the  cot- 
tony buff  of  the  various  awns  and  hairs  associated 
with  each  spikelet. 

As  the  flowers  age,  they  become  more  thor- 
oughly buff  colored  and  eventually,  in  October- 
November,  begin  to  shatter,  leaving  behind  stiff 
and  naked  stems.  New  flowers  can  be  seen  emerg- 
ing throughout  the  summer  and,  during  our  ex- 
tended summer  of  1991,  long  into  fall.  Of  par- 
ticular note,  and  coming  as  a surprise  to  the  com- 
mittee, this  plant  didn't  suffer  any  damage  during 
our  extremely  cold  December  of  1990;  the  entire 
crown  filled  in  with  new  foliage  the  next  spring. 
This  drought-tolerant,  medium-to-small  grass 
does  best  in  full  sun.  Use  it  as  a specimen  or  in 
mass  with  other  red,  mauve,  or  pink  companions 
to  bring  out  the  highlights. 

As  I finish  writing  this,  I see  the  grass  plot  illu- 
minated under  an  early  February  sun.  The  cala- 
magrostis,  miscanthus,  and  cortaderia  plumes, 
still  evident  in  mid  winter,  are  aglow  in  the  sun's 
rays.  There  were  many  interesting  and  showy 
plants  from  among  the  55  taxa  within  our  beloved 
plot.  There  were  also  some  dismal  failures.  For  a 
complete  rundown  of  all  the  taxa  evaluated,  con- 
sult “Ornamental  Grasses  at  CUH,"  available  at 
the  Elisabeth  C.  Miller  Library,  Center  for  Urban 
Horticulture,  University  of  Washington. 


Timothy  Hohn  is  Curator  of  Living  Collections, 
Washington  Park  Arboretum  and  University  of  Wash- 
ington Center  for  Urban  Horticulture.  He  is  a member 
of  the  Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin  editorial 
board. 

Recommended  Grasses 

Briza  media  Hystrix  patula 


Calamagrostis  species 
Carex  muskingumensis 
(shade) 

Chasmanthium 
latifolium 
Cortaderia  selloana 
‘Gold  Band' 

C.  s.  ‘Carminea 
Rendadleri'  (hardy) 
C.  s.  ‘Pumila* 

Festuca  c in  ere  a 
‘Blauglut* 

F.  cinerea  ‘Blausilber' 
F.  mairei 
Helictotrichon 
sempervirens 


Miscanthus 
oligostachyus 
M.  sinensis 
‘Arabesque’ 

M.  s.  ‘Sarabande' 

M,  s.  ‘Strictus’ 

M.  s.  ‘Variegatus’ 
Panicum  virgatum 
‘Heavy  Metal’ 

P v.  ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ 
Pennisetum  incomptum 
(spreading  ground 
cover) 

P orientale 
Stipa  gigantea 


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formal  gardens  and  historic  43  room 
mansion,  Filoli  is  a 654  acre  estate  set 
against  the  verdant  California  Coast 
Range.  A National  Trust  property  lo- 
cated 25  miles  south  of  San  Francisco. 

Open  Tues.-Sat.  10-3  by  reservation;  no 
reservation  needed  Fridays  and  some 
weekends.  Fee.  No  children  under  12 
except  on  nature  hikes. 

Filoli 

Canada  Road,  Woodside,  CA  94062 
(415)  364-2880 


17 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


Hardy  Fuchsias . . . 

An  Antique  Addiction  for  Your  Garden 


Fuchsia  magellanica 

by  Mary  Robson 

Photo  by  Joy  Spurr 

any  Northwest  home  owners  hang  a 
showy  hybrid  fuchsia  basket  on  the  front 
porch  before  Mother’s  Day,  a rite  signaling  sum- 
mer as  surely  as  does  the  oncoming  wave  of  six-pak 
marigolds  flooding  chain  stores.  The  fortunate  few 
also  recognize  the  potential  for  hardy  fuchsias  to 
thrive  year-round  in  shrub  borders,  emerging  from 
winter  dormancy  in  spring,  and  offering  late  sum- 
mer glories  in  bloom  from  July  onward. 

Like  many  other  genera  of  plants,  fuchsias  have 
been  historically  more  valued  in  Great  Britain 
than  they  have  in  the  United  States.  As  in  Great 
Britain,  hardy  fuchsias  in  North  America  are 
plants  of  the  seaside  and  more  particularly  of 
seaside  areas  with  moderate  summer  tempera- 
tures, such  as  are  experienced  in  the  coastal  West 
from  Vancouver,  British  Columbia,  down  to  San 
Francisco,  California. 

Perhaps  one  reason  why  the  hardy  fuchsia  has 
not  acquired  the  omnipresence  in  American  gar- 
dens of,  say,  the  forsythia,  is  that  it  refuses  to 


thrive  in  summer  heat.  But  we  have,  as  accom- 
paniments to  maritime  Northwest  summers,  the 
mist  and  the  shade  fuchsias  love.  They  are  ideal 
for  Coastal  Northwest  borders,  and  easier  to  care 
for  in  a garden  location  than  in  a hanging  basket. 
These  plants  with  their  height,  their  remarkable 
variety  of  bloom  shapes,  and  their  tropical  colors 
lend  distinctive  character  to  our  gardens  and  will 
amaze  the  waves  of  summer  visitors  from  more 
torrid  climates. 

About  100  species  of  fuchsias  are  recorded,  all 
but  five  occurring  from  the  Magellan  Strait  north 
to  Mexico,  Cuba,  Trinidad  and  Haiti.  Odd  species 
in  New  Zealand  and  Tahiti  would  seem  to  present 
evidence  of  continental  drift.  The  species  range  in 
stature  from  creepers  to  those  soaring  30  feet  tall, 
though  the  tallest  in  common  cultivation  seems  to 
grow  8 to  10  feet  (the  size  reached  by  the  cultivar 
Fuchsia  magellanica  ‘Riccartonii’  when  growing 
where  well  adapted). 

The  genus  (pronounced  ltfew-sha”)  was  named 
by  Father  Carole  Plumier  in  1703  from  a speci- 
men he  found  in  Haiti,  called  Fuchsia  triphylla 
flore  coccinea.  Plumier’ s name  (though  not  pro- 
nunciation) for  it  honors  Leonhart  Fuchs 
(1501-1566),  the  German  physician  and  botanist 
whose  herbal  reference  work  must  have  been  of 
importance  to  Plumier  even  140  years  after 
Fuchs’s  death.  The  species  Fuchsia  magellanica , 
native  to  Peru  and  Chile,  is  reliably  hardy 
throughout  the  Northwest  and  is  the  species  most 
often  seen  in  neglected  gardens,  waving  small 
drooping  flowers  with  crimson  petals  and  purple 
sepals  even  where  no  gardener  has  worked  for 
years.  For  garden  purposes,  the  species  and  cul- 


Glossary 

Calyx  consists  of  the  outermost  whorl  of 
flower  parts;  a collective  term  for  the  sepals. 
Sometimes  it  is  green  like  the  pedicel  to  which 
it  is  joined;  sometimes  it  is  very  enlarged  and 
may  be  the  color  of  the  flower  petals. 

Corolla  is  the  whorl  of  flower  parts  (petals) 
inside  the  calyx;  usually  a bright  color. 

Pedicel  is  the  stalk  of  a single  flower. 

Sepal  is  one  unit  of  the  calyx,  often  green. 


18 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


tivars  forming  shrubby  upright  shapes  can  be  the 
most  useful  for  design  in  borders,  though  hun- 
dreds of  cultivars  out  of  the  over  2,000  developed 
are  probably  hardy  in  gardens  through  maritime 
Northwest  winters,  including  such  familiar  basket 
cases  as  Fuchsia  ‘Jack  Shahan'  and  F. 
‘Swingtime’. 

Sacheverell  Sitwell — poet,  critic,  and  gardener 
among  his  attributes — spoke  of  adding  hardy 
fuchsias  to  gardens  as  “the  easiest  and  cheapest 
form  of  antique  collecting”  (Sitwell  1939).  He 
reported  hedgerows  in  the  west  of  Ireland,  Corn- 
wall and  Wales  where  the  “hillsides  are  red  with 
slow  and  drooping  fires.”  There,  Fuchsia  magel- 
lanica  and  some  of  its  relatives  escaped  green- 
houses and  gardens  to  establish  their  own  land- 
scapes. Antiques  indeed,  since  the  nineteenth 
century  obsession  with  hybridizing  fuchsias  pro- 
duced thousands  of  cultivars;  it’s  possible  to  trace 
the  dates  of  introduction  of  many  available  shrub- 
by garden  fuchsias  back  into  the  early  and  mid 
1800s.  These  shrubs  are  thus  ideal  for  accom- 
panying restorations  of  older  gardens. 

Other  variants  on  Fuchsia  magellanica  include 
F.  magellanica  var.  molinae  (=  ‘Alba’),  a graceful 
bush  to  nearly  four  feet.  It  is  laden  with  soft  lilac- 
pink  corolla  surrounding  a lavender/white  tube, 
resembling  the  “lady’s  eardrops”  of  the  Vic- 
torian nickname,  introduced  to  England  in  1931 
from  a garden  in  Chile  (Wood  1958).  Striking  in 
August  and  September  gardens,  F.  magellanica 
var.  molinae  blooms  tirelessly  and  stands  out 
against  a background  of  quiescent  rhododendrons. 
Fuchsia  magellanica  ‘ Riccartonii ’ (1830),  bred 
in  Scotland,  has  larger  leaves  and  flowers 
than  its  parent,  with  the  same  familiar  crimson- 
purple  color  (Wood  1958).  Another  one  to  try  is 
F.  magellanica  ‘Gracilis’,  with  red  tube  and 
sepals,  corolla  mauve,  arching  to  five  feet. 

Variations  in  leaf  form  and  habit  also  can  be 
found.  * Fuchsia  procumbens  trails  in  a lax  way, 
with  small  creamy  yellow  flowers  that  form  large, 
edible — though  somewhat  tasteless — fruit,  with 
leaves  rounded.  New  Zealand  gardeners  are  re- 
ported to  produce  fuchsia  jam  (Wilson  1965), 
lending  credence  to  the  idea  of  a specifically 
Northwest  delicacy,  blackberry-fuchsia  laid  up  for 
holiday  gifts.  Fuchsia  splendens  has  a scarlet  tube, 
green-tipped  sepals,  a yellow-green  corolla,  and 
large  oval  leaves.  Although  it  may  need  to  be 
taken  in  for  the  winter,  F.  splendens  reaches  near- 
ly eight  feet  high  when  established,  the  perfect 
plant  for  a pretend  tropical  patio  corner. 


Hybrids  for  the  Northwest  Garden 

Dozens  of  other  hardy  fuchsias  can  be  found  to 
grace  our  gardens;  hybrids  with  an  upright  habit 
can  be  effective  additions  to  mixed  perennial  bor- 
ders. Fuchsia  ‘Madame  Cornelissen’  (introduced 
in  Belgium,  1860),  shows  vividly  with  bright 
crimson  sepals  surrounded  by  a soft  white  corolla 
veined  cerise,  growing  to  about  two  feet. 

Fuchsia  ‘Island  Sunset’,  introduced  in  the 
1980s,  has  variegated  cream,  pink,  and  char- 
treuse foliage  with  crimson  flowers,  grows  to 
about  two  feet,  and  suits  a shady  border  with  ferns. 

Fuchsia  ‘Joan  Leach’  presents  a rosy  corolla 
and  deep  lavender  sepals  on  flowers  nearly  two 
inches  in  length.  Growing  to  about  two  feet,  the 
arching  habit  accentuates  the  dramatic  colors. 
This  was  still  blooming  on  Christmas  Day  in  Seat- 
tle during  the  mild  December  of  1991.  And  for 
those  who  view  the  colors  of  fuchsias  as  garish — 
this  flower  precisely  resembles  winter  sunrise, 
cerise  flaring  against  dark-shadowed  blue  clouds. 

Another  worthy  upright  is  Fuchsia  ‘Winston 
Churchill’  (1942  introduction),  redoubtable  in- 
deed, lavender  blue  corolla  and  pink  sepals,  and 
seen  forming  a 2Vi  hedge  against  a home  in  Red- 
mond, Washington,  striking  in  August. 

Fuchsia  ‘Lottie  Hobby’  (Britain,  1839)  is  a spe- 
cies hybrid,  having  small  single  flowers  with  dark 
red  sepals,  corolla  scarlet,  and  tiny  serrated  stiff 
leaves  on  a T shrub  with  real  charm  (Wood  1958). 

All  hardy  fuchsias  require  a deep,  well-prepared 
and  compost-laden  soil;  the  better  their  root  estab- 
lishment, the  better  their  hardiness.  They’ll 
bloom  in  sun  or  partial  shade,  and  prefer  some 
summer  watering  and  a moisture-retentive  soil. 
Although  George  Schenk  in  his  shade  garden 
book  (1984)  specifies  Fuchsia  magellanica  for  dry 
gardens,  fuchsias  are  not  the  plants  to  depend  on 
in  the  drought-tolerant  landscape. 

Contributing  to  the  profusion  of  fuchsia  hybrids 
is  their  ease  of  propagation.  Softwood  or  hard- 
wood cuttings  strike  with  alacrity.  If  you  see  a 
blooming  shrub  you  like  while  viewing  a friend’s 
garden  in  August,  ask  for  a cutting.  Your  rooted 
slip  will  be  ready  before  frost  in  a sheltered  loca- 
tion or  cold  frame. 

The  plants  mentioned  here  all  survived  the 
below  10°  F cold  of  winter  1990  in  Seattle,  and 
bloomed  vigorously  in  1991.  When  tidying  the 
fall  garden,  hide  your  pruning  shears  from  the 
hardy  fuchsias.  They  should  be  pruned  in  spring 
after  growth  commences;  any  top  growth  killed 
by  winter  will  be  replaced  by  vigorous  shoots 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


19 


Perennials.  Annuals. 
Geraniums. 

Seasonal  Color. 

Bulbs  and  Vegetables. 

New  Varieties  and  Old. 

And  Herbs,  of  Course. 

9 to  5 Everyday 

206-784-2222 

Easy  to  Find  Just  30  Minutes  from  Seattle  Take  1-90  east  to  Exit  22. 

Go  through  FYeston  toward  Fall  City.  3 miles  from  1-90,  take  T left  over 

the  green  bridge  Follow  signs  1/2  mile  further 

The  Herbfarm 

NURSERY  • GIFT  SHOP  ■ GARDENS  • RESTAURANT  • PHONE  ORDERS 

V J 

around  the  crown.  In  milder  winters,  the  woody 
structure  remains  and  leafs  out  in  spring;  though 
usually  deciduous,  many  hardy  fuchsias  retained 
their  leaves  through  the  mild  December  January 
of  1991  1992  and  were  vigorously  growing  in 
early  February  1992.  Thus,  these  plants  alternate 
between  behaving  as  herbaceous  perennials  and 
woody  shrubs,  depending  on  winter’s  severity. 

Exploring  hardy  fuchsias  for  the  home  garden  is 
easier,  thanks  to  the  tremendous  support  of  local 
fuchsia  societies,  which  maintain  records  and 
plant  test  gardens.  View  them  at:  Carl  English 
gardens  near  Seattle’s  Chittenden  Locks  (Greater 
Seattle  Fuchsia  Society);  Jennings  Park,  in 
Marysville  (Pilchuck  Fuchsia  Society);  and 
Church  Creek  Park  in  Stanwood  (North  Cascades 
Fuchsia  Society).  Nurseries  and  specialty  plant 
sales  increasingly  offer  hardy  fuchsias;  an  unspec- 
tacular 4"  pot  set  out  in  May  will  grow  vigorously 
and  bloom  in  its  first  year. 

Hardy  fuchsias  attract  hummingbirds  (a  glance 
at  the  flower  shape  shows  affinity  for  that  long, 
sharp  beak).  They  bloom  freshly  when  gardens 
are  fading  from  summer  heat  and  offer  multitudes 
of  color  choices  and  possibilities.  They  also  exhi- 


bit flair — a late  summer  kinetic  sculpture  set  to 
Cole  Porter — or  castanets.  If  you’re  looking  for  a 
new  plant  addiction,  start  making  room  for  hardy 
fuchsias. 


Mary  Robson  is  a member  of  The  Arboretum 
Foundation  Board  of  Directors  and  the  editorial  board 
of  the  Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin.  She  works 
for  Washington  State  University/King  County  Coopera- 
tive Extension  as  Master  Gardener  Coordinator.  Mary 
has  collected  hardy  fuchsias  for  seven  years. 

Photographer  Joy  Spurr  is  a member  of  Unit  81  of 
The  Arboretum  Foundation.  Her  plant  photos  are  pub- 
lished internationally. 

References 

Schenk,  George.  1984.  The  Complete  Shade  Gar- 
dener. Boston:  Houghton  Mifflin  Co. 

Sitwell,  Sacheverell.  1939.  Old  Fashioned  Flowers. 
London:  Country  Life,  Ltd. 

Wilson,  Stanley  J.  1965.  Fuchsias.  New  York:  St. 
Martin's  Press. 

Wood,  W.P.  1958.  A Fuchsia  Survey . London:  Gar- 
den Book  Club. 

SOME  HARDY  FUCHSIAS  FOR 
NORTHWEST  GARDENS 
A few  species . . . and  variants . . . 

Fuchsia  magellanica : graceful  bush  to  6 feet, 
deep  crimson/ purple  flowers. 

F.  magellanica  var.  molinae : carries  soft  pink- 
lavender  flowers,  prominent  white  anthers;  rock 
hardy;  to  5 feet. 

F.  magellanica  var.  macro  sterna:  another  shrub- 
sized  beauty;  slender  flowers  and  leaves;  vigorous 
red/purple. 

F.  splendens:  shrub  to  8 feet,  leaves  rounded, 
sepals  green-tipped,  corolla  yellow-green. 

Some  cultivars ...  of  many  available . . . 

Fuchsia  ‘Lottie  Hobby':  minute  serrated  leaves, 
tiny  single  flowers  red/scarlet;  to  12  inches;  a 
fuchsia  for  the  dollhouse  garden. 

F.  ‘Madame  Cornelissen’:  color  contrast  in 
crimson/ white;  may  be  semi-doubled  flowers; 
upright  to  2 feet. 

F.  ‘Winston  Churchill':  upright  to  2 to  2Vz  feet; 
deep  pink  sepals,  corolla  purplish;  handsome 
hedge  or  accent  in  border. 

F.  ‘Joan  Leach':  flowers  nearly  2"  long,  corolla 
in  purple  with  peachy-pink  sepals;  a beauty  to  18 
inches;  slightly  trailing. 

F.  ‘Island  Sunset’:  tri-colored  leaves  in  green, 
cream  and  pink;  small  bush  to  18  inches;  rosy 
flowers. 


20 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


The  First 


on  Garden 

* ' 


by  Kathy  Mendelson 


The  first  garden  and  the  first  exotic  trees  in 
what  would  become  the  State  of  Washing- 
ton were  planted  not  far  from  the  water’s  edge  by 
an  open  bay  at  the  tip  of  the  Olympic  Peninsula. 
The  year  was  1792,  exactly  300  years  after  the 
first  Spanish  expedition  to  the  New  World. 

Here  on  the  blustery  Northwest  coast,  the  first 
gardeners  were  Spaniards.  They  were  part  of 
Spain’s  efforts  to  occupy  the  region,  a venture 
that  began  across  the  water  on  Vancouver  Island 
in  present-day  British  Columbia.  Neither  farmers 
nor  gourmets,  the  Spaniards  took  up  vegetable 
gardening  for  practical  reasons:  they  needed  fresh 
vegetables  to  supplement  their  provisions  and  to 
stave  off  scurvy.  The  stories  of  this  and  other  early 
gardens  on  the  Northwest  coast  are  recorded  in 
diaries  and  ships’  logs  of  the  time.  Rich  in  detail, 
these  first-person  accounts  tell  of  agriculturists 
and  plant  explorers,  of  indigenous  peoples  and  na- 
tive plants,  and  of  familiar  crops,  as  well  as  those 
that  have  been  long  forgotten. 

The  Europeans  were,  of  course,  not  the  first  to 
know  this  region.  For  thousands  of  years  before 
the  Europeans,  native  peoples  lived  along  the 
Pacific  coast.  For  food,  water,  shelter,  energy,  and 
other  basic  needs,  they  found  a cornucopia  of 
resources.  Jose  Mariano  Mozino,  a Spanish  bota- 
nist and  physician  who  visited  Vancouver  Island 
in  1792,  recorded  some  of  the  plants  the  Native 
Americans  used.  Although  he  identified  some 
plants  incorrectly,  his  writings  describe  a wide 
variety: 

. . . they  do  not  fail  to  eat  the  vegetables  that 
grow  wild  during  the  summer.  For  them  the 
juicy  berries  of  the  andromeda  are  the  most 
delicate  fruit.  They  also  consume  with  pleas- 
ure the  three  species  of  blackberries  that 


grow  among  their  forests;  the  vaccinium 
[huckleberry  or  blueberry],  crab  apples  and 
wild  pears,  madrone  berries,  currants,  and 
strawberries.  The  flowers  and  fruit  of  the  wild 
rose  haw,  the  silver  weed,  the  tender  stalks  of 
the  angelica,  the  leaves  of  the  lithosperm,  the 
roots  of  the  trailing  clover,  and  the  scaly 
onionlike  bulb  of  the  Kamchatka  lily  are  the 
vegetables  which  providence  appears  to  have 
provided  them ....  [brackets  in  original]1 

The  Native  Americans  gathered  plants  and 
even  burned  open  fields  from  time  to  time  to  pre- 
vent trees  and  shrubs  from  invading  meadows 
where  the  indispensable  camas  grew.  Typically, 
however,  they  did  not  till  the  soil.  Joseph  Whid- 
bey,  who  visited  the  area  with  George  Vancouver 
in  1792,  reported  only  one  crop  in  cultivation.  He 
took  it  to  be  tobacco.2  Later  botanists  doubt  that 
tobacco  would  tolerate  this  climate,  but  have  yet 
to  identify  the  plant  Whidbey  saw  in  cultivation. 

Although  the  Native  Americans  on  the  North- 
west coast  were  not  gardeners,  the  Europeans 
were.  Even  though  the  first  outposts  here  some- 
times only  lasted  a summer,  there  typically  was  a 
garden.  Food  from  these  gardens  supplemented 
provisions.  Perhaps  more  importantly,  fresh  pro- 
duce prevented  scurvy,  a disease  that  had  long 
ravaged  crews.  Men  with  this  vitamin  C deficiency 
suffered  a host  of  symptoms  and  grew  so  weak  they 
became  bedridden.  Some  crews  were  so  stricken 
that  there  were  not  enough  able-bodied  men  left  to 
set  the  sail.3  On  extended  voyages,  scurvy  might 
claim  more  than  two-thirds  of  a crew.4 

Though  theories  abounded  on  how  to  prevent 
scurvy,  it  was  British  naval  officer  Captain  James 
Cook  who  finally  began  solving  this  riddle.  He 
knew  that  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables  prevented 
scurvy  and  advocated  acquiring  fresh  foods 
wherever  possible.  Though  European  and  Ameri- 
can explorers  traded  with  local  peoples  for  fresh 
food,  cultivated  gardens  became  a reliable  source 
of  vegetables.  Alessandro  Malaspina,  an  Italian 
explorer  sailing  for  Spain  (as  was  Columbus  three 
centuries  before),  recognized  the  importance  of 
these  gardens.  He  wrote: 

If  the  vegetables  had  not  taken  hold  so  quick- 
ly, circumstances  would  have  been  disagree- 
able and  possibly  fatal;  but  the  facility  with 
which  cabbage,  lettuce,  onions,  garlic,  chard, 
radishes,  turnips,  carrots,  parsley,  and  arti- 
chokes began  to  take  on  vigour  certainly  led 
many  more  to  the  useful  occupation  of  culti- 
vation, but  also  placed  a great  obstacle  to  the 
relentless  inroads  of  scurvy.5 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


21 


One  of  the  Spanish  subsistence  gardens  was 
planted  at  present-day  Neah  Bay  by  Spanish 
troopers  under  the  command  of  Salvador  Fidalgo. 
They  named  this  outpost  Puerto  de  Nunez 
Gaona,  after  a commodore  in  the  Spanish  navy. 
Fidalgo  arrived  at  Nunez  Gaona  on  May  29, 
1792,  after  a two-month  voyage  from  San  Bias,  a 
Spanish  naval  base  in  Mexico. 

On  board,  Salvador  Fidalgo  carried  supplies  and 
tools  with  which  to  build  his  settlement  and  seeds 
for  the  garden.  Because  it  was  so  late  in  the  grow- 
ing season,  he  also  carried  starts  ready  to  trans- 
plant from  San  Bias.6  Fidalgo  built  his  settlement 
not  far  from  the  beach,  near  a creek  that  supplied 
fresh  water.  Fie  and  his  men  cleared  trees  and 
brush,  built  rough  shelters,  and  planted  a garden. 
By  turning  the  soil  and  sowing  seeds,  Fidalgo  made 
gardening  history.  He  planted  the  first  garden  in 
what  would  become  the  State  of  Washington. 

Only  a few  people  ever  saw  the  garden  estab- 
lished by  Fidalgo' s crew.  One  of  them,  American 
Joseph  Ingraham,  reported  that  the  garrison 
“ . . . consisted  only  of  a few  huts  and  tolerably 
good  garden.''7  Two  Spanish  schooners,  theSV///Y 
and  the  Mexicana  also  called  at  Nunez  Gaona  in 
1792.  An  account  of  that  voyage  includes  the  fol- 
lowing description: 

Fidalgo  had  selected  and  caused  to  be  cleared 
a site  fit  for  a garden,  and  the  mastic  trees 
which  the  commander  had  brought  from  San 
Bias  were  already  being  planted  in  it.”8 

What  were  these  mastic  trees?  No  one  knows 
for  sure.  Perhaps  they  were  one  of  three  species 
known  commonly  today  as  mastic  trees:  Masti- 
chodendron  foetidissimum , Pistacia  lentiscus , and 
Schinus  molle.  Representatives  of  the  Pistacia  and 
Sc  bin  us  genera  can  be  seen  in  the  Washington 
Park  Arboretum.  Pistacia  chinensis  is  located  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Hillside  Trail  near  the  rock 
roses.  Schinus  patagonicus , near  the  bottom  of 
Loderi  Valley,  is  located  near  the  flame  azaleas. 

Mastichodendron  foetidissimum  was  valued  for 
its  wood,9  a commodity  little  needed  on  the 
Northwest  coast.  The  Pistacia  lentiscus  is  a Medi- 
terranean shrub.  The  ancient  Greeks  knew  this 
mastic,  and  prized  its  fragrant  resins.  So  did  Chris- 
topher Columbus,  and  other  Europeans  at  the 
time  of  the  voyages  of  discovery.  Still,  it  typically 
did  not  produce  its  valuable  resins  when  planted 
outside  the  native  range.10  Therefore,  it  is  unlikely 
that  P.  lentiscus  was  an  early  introduction  to  the 


New  World.  The  third  mastic,  Schinus  molle , 
may  be  the  one  that  was  planted  at  Nunez  Gaona. 
Native  to  the  Andes,  this  mastic  was  valued  for  at 
least  three  reasons:  good  berries  for  wine, 
medicinal  bark,  and  the  production  of  a useful 
gum  known  as  American  mastic.11  The  Spanish 
planted  it  throughout  Mexico  and  the  American 
Southwest;  they  may  have  sent  it  to  the 
Northwest  Coast,  as  well.  No  matter  which  mas- 
tic was  introduced,  it  was  not  destined  to  survive. 
The  tiny  settlement  at  Nunez  Gaona  was  aban- 
doned by  the  end  of  September.  The  bay  offered 
inadequate  shelter  from  winter  storms,  and 
Spain’s  interest  in  the  port  had  waned. 

There  are  few  other  descriptions  of  Nunez 
Gaona,  but  the  gardens  may  have  been  similar  to 
those  at  an  older  and  larger  Spanish  outpost  on 
Vancouver  Island.  Located  on  the  west  side  of  the 
island  at  Nootka  Sound,  this  outpost  was  the  cen- 
ter of  the  sea  otter  trade.  In  1790,  Pedro  Alberni 
assumed  command  of  the  garrison  there  and 
planted  an  extensive  garden.  He  tested  varieties  to 
see  what  would  grow  in  the  cool,  maritime  cli- 
mate. To  find  the  best  time  to  sow,  he  planted 
crops  at  one-month  intervals. 

Alberni  kept  detailed  records.  He  found  that 
“ . . . cabbage,  garlic,  and  onions  grew  best  in 
summer.  Lettuce  and  radishes  grew  into  late  fall. 
Potatoes,  beans,  and  peas  grew  in  abundance  as 
did  carrots  and  artichokes.  Garbanzos,  corn, 
wheat,  tomatoes,  and  squash  did  not  seem  to  de- 
velop as  well.  . . ”12  In  all,  Alberni  tried  at  least 
nineteen  different  crops.  Most,  like  beets  and 
spinach,  are  familiar.  Others,  like  barley,  are  well- 
known  but  now  are  grown  elsewhere.  Still  others, 
like  saltwort,  are  little  known. 

Alberni' s garden  drew  the  attention  of  visitors 
to  Nootka  Sound.  Malaspina  reported  some  ex- 
traordinary crops,  like  “turnips  three  spans  [27 
inches]  in  circumference  and  lettuces  of  nine 
spans  [81  inches]  in  the  upper  parts  of  the 
leaves.''13  Like  Malaspina,  Archibald  Menzies 
toured  the  gardens.  Menzies  was  a member  of 
George  Vancouver’s  1791-1795  expedition  and 
reported  that  the  “European  garden  stuffs  . . . 
grew  here  very  luxuriantly.  ’ ’ 14  During  this  time, 
he  gathered  plants,  including  salal,  big-leaf  maple, 
arbutus,  and  Douglas-fir  branches. 

Despite  their  success,  these  first  gardens  would 
soon  be  abandoned,  as  changing  times  drew  their 
caretakers  elsewhere.  Today,  there  are  few  traces 
of  them  on  the  Northwest  coast.  The  original  sites 


22 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


have  been  converted  to  modern  uses  or  reclaimed 
by  the  forest  or  the  sea.  Although  the  gardens  are 
gone,  a potato  thought  to  have  been  introduced  by 
the  early  explorers  survives.  Named  Anna 
Cheeka’s  Ozette  Potato,  this  variety  has  been 
grown  by  the  Makah  at  Neah  Bay  for  generations, 
and  is  now  available  in  the  horticultural  trade.15 
The  Ozette  is  a reminder  of  where  gardening 
began  some  200  years  ago  here  in  the  Northwest. 
Notes 

1 Jose  Mariano  Mozino.  Noticias  De  Nutka,  An  Ac- 
count of  Nootka  Sound  in  1 792 , University  of  Wash- 
ington Press,  Seattle,  1970,  p.  20.  Further  details  on 
native  plants,  including  both  18th  and  20th  century 
names,  are  included  in  Alexander  Walker's  An  Ac- 
count of  a Voyage  to  the  North  West  Coast  of  America 
in  1785  & 1786.  Seattle:  University  of  Washington 
Press,  1982. 

2Archibald  Menzies.  Menzies  ’ Journal  of  Vancouver 's 
Voyage,  April  to  October,  1792.  Victoria,  B.C.:  Printed 
by  W.  H.  Cullin,  1923,  p.  141. 

3 Warren  L.  Cook.  Flood  Tide  of  Empire,  Spain  and  the 
Pacific  Northwest,  15431819.  New  Haven:  Yale  Uni- 
versity Press,  1973,  p.  77. 

4Warren  L.  Cook,  p.  397. 

5Donald  C.  Cutter.  Malaspina  and  Galiano,  Spanish 
Voyages  to  the  Northwest  Coast  1791  and  1792.  Seat- 
tle: University  of  Washington  Press,  1991,  p.  78. 

6 Warren  L.  Cook,  p.  350 

7Joseph  Ingraham.  Journal  of  the  Brigantine  Hope  on  a 
Voyage  to  the  Northwest  Coast  of  North  America, 
1790-1792.  Barre,  MA:  Imprint  Society,  1971,  p.  203. 
8Henry  R.  Wagner.  Spanish  Explorations  in  the  Strait  of 
Juan  De  Fuca.  Santa  Ana,  CA:  Fine  Arts  Press,  1933, 
p.  233. 

9George  Usher.  A Dictionary  of  Plants  Used  by  Man. 
London:  Constable  & Co.,  Ltd.,  1974,  p.  539. 

10U.P.  Hedrick,  editor.  Sturtevant  ’s  Edible  Plants  of  the 
World.  New  York:  Dover  Press,  1972,  p.  440. 
“George  Usher,  p.  529. 

“Joseph  P.  Sanchez.  The  Catalonian  Volunteers  in 
Northwestern  New  Spain,  1767-1810.  Albuquerque: 
University  of  New  Mexico  Press,  1990,  p.  95. 
“Alessandro  Malaspina.  Politico-Scientific  Voyages 
Around  the  World  by  the  Corvettes  Descubierta  and 
Atrevida:  Under  the  command  of  the  naval  captains 
Don  Alexandro  Malaspina  and  Don  Jose  de  Busta- 
mente  y Guerra  from  1789-1794 . (translated  by  Carl 
Robinson,  1934).  Madrid:  no  publisher,  1885,  p.  235. 
“Archibald  Menzies,  p.  111. 

“Ozettes  are  offered  by  Ronniger's  Seed  Potatoes,  Star 
Route,  Moyie  Springs,  ID,  83845.  Catalog,  $2. 


Kathy  Mendelson  is  a Kirkland-based  horticulturist. 
She  is  studying  the  people  and  plants  that  shaped  the 
history  of  gardening  here  in  the  Northwest. 


Herron  Gardens 

Distinctive  Northwest 
Quality  Landscaping 

Ann  Herron 

454-1216 


V,  . 


1 u 


CUSTOM  DESIGN,  INSTALLATION 
& MAINTENANCE 

Since  1975  herrog#i37LQ 


INTERIOR  DESIGN 
Residential  - Executive  Offices 
Courtyards  and  Tea  Gardens 

PROFESSIONAL  MEMBER 
AMERICAN  SOCIETY  OF 
INTERIOR  DESIGNERS 

(206)  525-2207  SEATTLE,  WA 
Arboretum  Foundation  member,  40  years 


Nurser\  *Greenhouses*Complete  Landscaping  Service 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


23 


In  the  Washington 
Park  Arboretum 


by  Lynda  J.  Ransley 


Something  new  and 
LJ  different  has  been 
planted  in  the  Washing- 
ton Park  Arboretum  re- 
cently. We  have  proudly 
“accessioned"  six  of 
these  special  clones  into 
our  collection.  Visitors 
are  welcoming  them 
with  comments  like 
“What  a nice  addition" 
and  “It's  about  time!" 
These  latest  additions 
are  not  rare  magnolias,  nor  are  they  the 
“perfect"  ground  cover  for  dry  shade.  Rather, 
they  are  a series  of  orientation  panels  that  have 
been  installed  to  aid  you  in  using  and  understand- 
ing the  Arboretum. 

The  orientation  panels  display  “ You-are-here’ ’ 
maps,  information  about  the  extent  and  organiza- 
tion of  the  collections,  how  to  find  your  way,  Ar- 
boretum history  and  mission,  use  policies,  regula- 


tions, visitor  services,  and  collection  highlights. 
Find  them  at  key  visitor  access  points:  the 
Graham  Visitors  Center,  the  Lookout  parking  lot, 
the  Japanese  Garden  parking  lot,  along  Azalea 
Way  near  the  Boyer  Avenue  entrance,  near  the 
historic  Lynn  Street  pedestrian  bridge,  and  ad- 
jacent to  the  Lagoon  parking  area. 

You  also  may  have  noticed  the  close  relatives  of 
the  orientation  panels:  interpretive  signs.  These 
signs  have  sprung  up  around  the  grounds  since 
1990  to  help  you  better  understand  and  use  the 
Arboretum  and  its  plant  collections.  They  offer 
explanations  and  illustrations  that  elaborate  upon 
concepts  relating  to  the  plant  collections.  Inter- 
pretive projects  include: 

The  Joseph  A.  Witt  Winter  Garden:  En 
trance  signs  commemorate  former  curator  Joe 
Witt  and  describe  the  garden’s  design  and  func- 
tion. Story  labels  explain  about  the  plants  and  how 
to  create  winter  gardens. 

The  Herschel  Roman  Rhododendron 
Genetics  Display:  Midway  along  Azalea  Way, 


24 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


Lynda  J.  Ransley 


south  of  the  Woodland  Garden,  find  a large  illu- 
strated panel  that  describes  rhododendron  hybrid- 
izing and  explains  the  plants  in  the  display. 

The  Brian  O.  Mulligan  Sorbus  Collection: 
Entrance  panels  to  the  Sorbus  collection  will  be 
installed  in  the  early  spring.  They  will  honor 
Brian  Mulligan  and  contain  descriptive  informa- 
tion and  an  orientation  map.  In  addition,  story 
labels  highlight  interesting  facts  about  the  genus 
Sorbus  and  the  collection. 

Native  Plants:  This  interpretive  project  is 
nearing  completion  and  includes  signs  and  an  ac- 
companying interpretive  booklet.  The  signs  and 
booklet  will  contain  information  on  specific  native 
plants  and  their  potential  for  use  in  home  land- 
scapes, as  well  as  an  explanation  of  how  natives 
are  used  in  the  Arboretum. 

These  visitor  services  are  made  possible 
through  the  generous  support  of  The  Arboretum 
Foundation,  the  Chevron  Companies,  and  private 
donations.  We  are  excited  about  such  endeavors 
because  they  enhance  the  user  friendliness  of  the 
Arboretum  and  add  greater  interest  to  our  plant 
collections,  while  making  them  useful  to  a wider 
audience. 

Saplings 

We  are  preparing  for  a busy  spring  for  children 
in  the  Arboretum.  In  1991,  over  4,000  children 
participated  in  our  school  and  family  programs.  A 
special  facet  of  our  children’s  program,  known  as 
Saplings,  continues  to  be  very  popular.  Initiated 
by  The  Arboretum  Foundation  in  1987,  it  has 
continued  to  grow  and  change.  It  is  now  adminis- 
tered through  the  Arboretum  Education  Pro- 
gram, and  offers  a combination  of  native  plant 
study  walk  with  thematic  hands-on  activities.  We 
change  the  activity  themes  each  season. 

This  spring  we  offer  school  groups  three 
choices:  Wildlife  Habitats  of  Foster  Island,  Plant 
Propagation,  and  Nature’s  Recycling.  The  recycl- 
ing program  is  offered  in  cooperation  with  Seattle 
Tilth,  a non-profit  group  interested  in  compost- 
ing, ecological  food  production,  and  sustainable 
forestry.  Each  program  is  designed  to  be  engaging 
and  fun,  while  teaching  important  environmental 
concepts.  A special  gift  from  the  Madison  Park 
Garden  Club  will  help  support  the  Saplings. 


Lynda  J.  Ransley  is  education  coordinator  for  the 
Washington  Park  Arboretum,  University  of  Washing- 
ton Center  for  Urban  Horticulture. 


MADISON  PARK 

HARDWARE 


1837  42nd  E.  322-5331 
GARDEN  SUPPLIES  • PAINTS  • TOYS  • GIFTS 


Contemporary 
Jewelry  Design 

At  Madison  Park 

Fine  custom  design  at 
affordable  rates,  from 
traditional  to  contemporary. 
Unique  gem  and  diamond 
selection.  Multi-color  gold 
specialists.  ‘Distinguished' 
member  of  the  Society  of 
North  American  Goldsmiths 


RINGWORKS 


4031  E.  Madison  St. 
206-323-8811 
Hours  Tues  - Sat 
11:00  to  5:30 
Evenings  by 
appointment 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


25 


Book  Reviews 


The  Tew  Tire.  Hal  Hartzell,  Jr.  Hulogosi, 
Eugene,  Oregon,  1991.  319  pages. 
ISBN  0-93849373-2.  $19.95. 


account  of  the  yew,  capitalizing  on  its  current 
notoriety.  Instead,  I find  a remarkable  blend  of 
scholarship,  sensitivity,  and  love;  this  is  truly  a 
monograph  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word. 

The  book’s  subtitle,  Biography  of  the  Yew , 
could  just  as  well  have  been  “The  Natural  and 
Cultural  History  of  the  Yew.”  The  yew  has  been 
a part  of  the  human  drama  for  centuries;  the  old 
world  species,  Taxus  haccata  and  T.  cuspidata, 
have  played  a major  role  in  the  development  of 
European  and  Asian  civilizations.  And  now,  in 
the  1990s,  our  native  yew  (27  brevifolia ) comes 
out  of  its  obscure  niche  in  the  forests  of  the  Pacific 
Northwest  to  claim  high  status  in  human  affairs 
for  its  remarkable  capacity  in  arresting  cancer.  In 
short,  western  yew’s  potent  chemical — taxol — is 
now  the  buzz  word  in  forestry,  pharmacology,  and 
conservation  circles. 

Hartzell’s  sensitive  and  thorough  coverage  of 
yews  ranges  worldwide,  but  with  major  focus  on 
Taxus  baccata  (English  yew)  and  western  yew  (27 
brevifolia).  Part  I deals  with  the  cultural  attributes 
of  old  world  yews:  mythological  qualities,  sacred 
contexts,  and  historical  impact. 

Part  II  gives  the  reader  a thorough  account  of 
the  genus  Taxus'.  its  botany  and  biogeography. 
Most  is  known  about  Taxus  baccata , which  gets 


the  lion’s  share  of  attention  in  Hartzell’s  book.  Its 
many  cultivars  are  briefly  reviewed,  along  with 
the  traditional  garden  uses — hedges  and  topiary. 
Part  III  (Living  Witness  to  Human  History)  gives 
a rich  account  of  ancient  living  yews  and  their 
close  affinity  to  English  church  yards.  Parts  IV 
and  V take  on  North  American  yews,  of  which 
the  western  yew  is  the  most  critical — for  its  own 
survival’s  sake  and  for  its  yield  of  taxol.  In  these 
chapters,  Hartzell  takes  the  reader  from  the 
natural  history  of  western  yew  through  its  role  in 
native  American  cultures  to  the  “Modern  Dilem- 
ma.” That  dilemma — Will  the  harvest  of  yew 
bark  be  the  death  of  the  species? — has  yet  to  be 
resolved.  The  sections  on  taxol,  yew  bark  harvest- 
ing, and  alternatives  to  decimating  the  native 
stands  are  covered  in  thorough,  readable  style. 

The  epilogue  of  the  book  reveals  the  poetic  im- 
age of  yew  in  literature,  and  indeed,  the  poetic 
sense  of  the  author.  No  denying,  I am  enamoured 
of  this  book,  a true  “life-history”  of  an  important 
group  of  plants.  May  others  like  it  come  along  to 
treat  in  scholarly  and  reverential  fashion  other 
plants  so  notably  intertwined  with  humanity  and 
wild  nature. 

For  gardeners  and  horticulturists,  the  many 
parts  of  the  book  dealing  with  the  botany  and 
traditional  garden  uses  of  yew  make  it  worth  the 
purchase  alone.  But  its  big  message  is  the  issue  of 
preservation  of  yews — worldwide  and  here  in  the 
Pacific  Northwest. — Reviewed  by  Arthur  R. 
Kruckeberg 


Arthur  R.  Kruckeberg  is  professor  emeritus  and 
former  chair  of  the  Department  of  Botany,  University 
of  Washington,  Seattle,  where  he  has  been  since  1950. 
His  areas  of  research  are  plant  ecology  and  genetics  of 
species  differences.  Kruckeberg  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Washington  Native  Plant  Society  and  consults  on 
environmental  impacts,  plants  and  vegetation.  His 
most  recent  book  is  The  Natural  History  of  Puget 
Sound  Country. 


Hardy  Heather  Species.  Dorothy  M. 
Metheny.  Frontier  Publishing,  Seaside, 
Oregon.  1991.  186  pages. 

ISBN  0-939116-29-4.  $39.95  ($24.95, 

softcover) . 

Pacific  Northwest  gardeners  enjoy  a climate 
well  suited  to  growing  heathers.  However, 


26 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


most  of  the  available  books  about  heathers  and 
heather  culture  were  written  by  Europeans. 
Dorothy  Metheny’s  new  book,  Hardy  Heather 
Species , is  one  of  the  first  books  written  by 
Americans  about  American-grown  heaths  and 
heathers.  It  enables  gardeners  to  identify  the 
plants  they  are  growing  and  thus  be  able  to  learn 
more  about  them. 

Mrs.  Metheny  has  traveled  extensively  and  is  a 
recognized  and  respected  member  of  the  British 
Heather  Society;  a cultivar  she  discovered  in  the 
United  Kingdom  was  named  in  her  honor.  She  is 
also  an  active  member  of  the  North  American 
Heather  Society  which  she  helped  organize  in 
1977  as  the  Pacific  Northwest  Heather  Society. 

Approximately  30  hardy  heather  species  and 
hybrids  being  grown  in  North  American  gardens 
are  described  in  the  book.  Each  species  description 
includes  line  drawings  by  the  author  of  foliage  and 
flower  form  in  considerable  detail — sufficient  to 
identify  the  species  from  specimens  in  hand.  Also 
included  is  a discussion  of  historic  background, 
etymology  of  names  and  world  distribution,  both 
natural  and  cultivated. 

What  really  brings  the  book  to  life  are  the  anec- 
dotal notes  and  bits  of  information  included.  Com- 
ments are  made  about  the  growth  habits,  color 


The  Book  of  the  Scottish  Garden— A Royal 
Botanic  Garden  Edinburgh  Book.  Fay 
Young  and  Brinsley  Burbidge  (photog- 
rapher). Timber  Press,  Portland,  Oregon. 
1991.  167  pages.  236  color  photos. 
ISBN  0-88192-213 -7.  $29.95. 

Primarily,  this  book  is  a photographic  record- 
ing of  5 2 public  and  private  Scottish  gardens 
by  Brinsley  Burbidge,  a photographer  of  the  first 
rank.  For  many  years  Burbidge  was  Principal 

Scientific  Officer 
at  the  Royal  Bo- 
tanic Garden, 
Edinburgh,  and 
is  now  head  of 
the  Information 
and  Exhibitions 
Division  at  the 
Royal  Botanic 
Garden,  Kew, 
London.  Many 
of  the  book’s  il- 


display, and  idiosyncrasies  of  a few  cultivars  in 
each  species.  Sources  are  the  author’s  own  55 
years  of  experience  in  growing  heathers  and  infor- 
mation shared  by  other  heather  growers,  both  ex- 
perts and  amateurs,  from  all  over  the  world.  A list 
of  over  350  cultivars  available  from  North  Amer- 
ican nurseries  in  1990  promotes  correct  nomen- 
clature. 

Included  are  chapters  on  culture,  propagation, 
and  maintenance  by  prominent  heather  growers 
in  North  America.  Several  knowledgeable  con- 
tributors are  Alice  and  Bob  Knight,  Art  Dome, 
Donald  A.M.  Mackay  and  Judy  Young,  who  lend 
their  expertise  in  several  chapters.  As  a result, 
this  book  will  advance  heather  culture  in  North 
America  and  provide  information  not  previously 
available  to  most  gardeners. — Reviewed  by  Lloyd 
Eighme 


Lloyd  Eighme,  a retired  professor  of  biology,  cur- 
rently lives  in  Skagit  County,  Washington.  Dr.  Eighme 
has  written  before  about  heathers  and  taught  classes 
such  as  “Plant  Materials  for  Landscaping"  and 
“Home  Greenhouse  Gardening."  He  is  immediate 
past  president  of  the  North  American  Heather  Society 
and  has  been  collecting  and  growing  heathers  for  over 
30  years. 


lustrations  show  unusual  plants  growing  at  the 
Royal  Botanic  Garden,  Edinburgh,  both  outdoors 
and  in  the  large  greenhouses. 

Mrs.  Young  is  responsible  for  the  text,  organ- 
ized under  five  principal  divisions:  Gardens  in  the 
Landscape  (with  Drummond  Castle  as  the  prime 
Scottish  example);  Wild,  Woodland  and  Water 
Gardens  (Benmore,  Keir,  and  Crarae);  and  House 
and  Garden  (Falkland  Palace,  Kellie  Castle,  and 
Pitmedden).  The  introduction  reviews  some  of 
the  notable  plant  explorers  of  Scottish  origin  over 
the  past  200  years  who  are  responsible  in  varying 
degrees  for  so  many  plants  that  are  now  grown 
and  enjoyed  in  gardens  throughout  the  world. 

This  beautiful  and  informative  work  concludes 
with  a map  showing  the  locations  of  the  gardens 
discussed  and  opening  dates,  as  well  as  an 
index. — Reviewed  by  Brian  O.  Mulligan 


Brian  O.  Mulligan  is  director  emeritus  of  the  Wash- 
ington Park  Arboretum  and  lifetime  member  of  the 
Washington  Park  Arboretum  editorial  board. 


Vol.  55:1  Spring  1992 


27 


New  on  the  Shelves 

of  the  Elisabeth  C.  Miller  Library 


by  Valerie  Easton 


Brookes,  John.  The  Book  of  Garden  Design.  New 
York:  Macmillan,  1991.  ISBN  0-02516-695-6. 

Creasy,  Rosalind.  Cooking  from  the  Garden.  San 
Francisco:  Sierra  Club  Books,  1988.  ISBN  0-87156- 
731-8. 

Elias,  Thomas  S.,  and  Peter  A.  Dykeman.  Edible 
Wild  Plants:  A North  American  Field  Guide.  New 
York:  Sterling  Publishing,  1990.  ISBN  0-8069-7488-5. 

Falk,  Donald  A.,  and  Kent  E.  Holsinger,  eds. 
Genetics  and  Conservation  of  Rare  Plants.  New  York: 
Oxford  University  Press,  1991.  ISBN  0-19-506429-1. 

Grenfell,  Diana,  and  Roger  Grounds.  The  White 
Garden.  North  Pomfret,  VT:  Trafalgar  Square  Pub- 
lishing, 1991.  ISBN  0-943955-36-X. 

Hart,  Rhonda  Massingham.  Bugs,  Slugs,  & Other 
Thugs:  Controlling  Garden  Pests  Organically . Pownal, 


VT:  Storey  Communications,  1991.  ISBN  0-671- 
72253-0. 

Horinaka,  Akira.  The  Pictorial  Book  of  Iris  laevigata. 
Japan:  Abocsha,  1990.  ISBN  4-900358-24-X. 

Jones,  Pamela.  Just  Weeds:  History,  Myths,  and 
Uses.  New  York:  Prentice  Hall  Press,  1991.  ISBN 
0-13-514118-3. 

Lacey,  Stephen.  Scent  in  Your  Garden.  Boston:  Lit- 
tle, Brown  and  Company,  1991.  ISBN  0-316-51 169-2. 

Lanier-Graham,  Susan  D.  The  Nature  Directory:  A 
Guide  to  Environmental  Organizations . New  York: 
Walker  and  Co.,  1991.  ISBN  0-8027-7348-6. 

Packer,  Jane.  Flowers  for  all  Seasons:  Winter.  New 
York:  Fawcett  Columbine,  1989.  ISBN  0-449  90414-8. 

Flowers  for  All  Seasons:  Spring.  ISBN  0-449- 

90363-X. 

Flowers  for  All  Seasons:  Summer.  ISBN  0-449- 

90412-1. 

Flowers  for  All  Seasons:  Fall.  ISBN  0-449-9041 3 X. 

Proctor,  Rob,  and  Rob  Gray.  Annuals:  Yearly  Clas- 
sics for  the  Contemporary  Garden.  New  York:  Harper 
Collins,  1991.  ISBN  0-06-01634-3. 

Van  Zuylen,  Gabrielle,  and  Marina  Schinz.  The  Gar- 
dens of  Russell  Page.  New  York:  Stewart,  Tabori  & 
Chang,  1991.  ISBN  1-55670-170-5. 

Welch,  Humphrey  J.  The  Conifer  Manual.  Vol.  1. 
London:  Kluwer  Academic  Publishers,  1991.  ISBN 
0-7923-0616-3. 

All  of  these  books  can  be  found  in  the  Elisabeth  C. 
Miller  Library,  Center  for  Urban  Horticulture,  Univer- 
sity of  Washington.  Call  the  library  at  (206)  543-8616 
for  current  hours. 


Valerie  Easton  is  a librarian  at  the  Elisabeth  C.  Miller 
Library,  University  of  Washington  Center  for  Urban 
Horticulture,  Seattle.  She  is  a member  of  the  editorial 
board  of  The  Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin. 


28 


Washington  Park  Arboretum  Bulletin 


The  Natural  History  of 
Puget  Sound  Country 

ARTHUR  R.  KRUCKEBERG 

j/^Lt  long  last  there's  a book  for  the  Northwest  that  takes 
up  where  field  guides  leave  off.  More  than  a guidebook 
for  identifying  plants  and  animals,  this  unique  natural 
history  of  the  Puget  Sound  basin  is  a layman's  hand- 
book to  the  ecology  of  the  region,  revealing  the 
fascinating  interconnections  of  its  geology  and  land- 
forms,  its  climate,  its  diverse  habitats,  and  the  biology  of 
its  plants  and  animals.  For  all  Northwest  citizens  concerned  with 
the  integrity  of  their  natural  environment,  this  book  will  serve  as  the  essential 
reference.  Lavishly  illustrated  with  400  photographs  and  drawings,  it  is  more  than  a beautiful 
book.  It  is  a guide  to  our  future.  • Clothbound,  $29.95 

Available  through  your  local  bookstore  or  call  1-800-441-4175  (In  Seattle  call  543-8870) 


University  of  Washington  Press 

P.O.Box  50096  • Seattle,  WA  98145 


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All  the  classic  Cartier  touches  are  here:  The  steel  and  gold  Santos 
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ARBORETUM 


The  Bulletin  is  published  by 
The  Arboretum  Foundation 
Washington  Park  Arboretum 
University  of  Washington  XD-10 
Seattle,  Washington  98195 


Nonprofit  Org. 
U.S.  Postage 

PAID 

Seattle,  Washington 
Permit  No.  126 


WOTT 
R URBAI^  HORT . 


98195 


An  arboretum  is  a living  museum  of  woody  plants 
for  education,  conservation,  research,  and  display.