Kruckeberg Plant of the Month
Friday, July 11, 2014
Kruckeberg Gardens: Plant of the Month
Friday, June 20, 2014
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Dead Man’s Fingers
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
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| Dead Man's Fingers. |
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the month: Pearly everlasting
Saturday, September 10, 2011
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| Pearly everlasting |
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Sea Thrift
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
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| Photo from Wikimedia Commons |
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Devil's club
Friday, June 24, 2011
| Oplopanax horridus Photo from Wikimedia |
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Korean Dogwood
Sunday, May 22, 2011
| Korean dogwood. Photo by Sarah Baker. |
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month – Epimedium perralderianum
Thursday, March 17, 2011
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| Epimedium. Photo by Roseann Barnhill |
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Cornelian cherry
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
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| Cornus mas. Photo by Roseann Barnhill. |
Kruckeberg Plant of the Month: California Fescue
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month – Pére David’s Maple
Friday, September 17, 2010
| Acer davidii. Photo by Sarah Baker. |
Kruckeberg Garden Plant of the Month
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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| Photo Walter Siegmund. WikiCommons |
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Talking Trees Plant of the Month – Dove Tree
Monday, July 12, 2010
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month - Goatsbeard
Thursday, July 8, 2010
By Sarah Baker, Kruckeberg Garden Director
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month – Western Meadow Rue
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month – Wood Anemone
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Photo by Vicki Demetre
Anemone nemorosa ‘vestal’ differs from its relatives in its burst of petaloid stamens in the flower’s center, which creates an elegant puff effect. This changes the purpose of the stamens to form rather than reproductive function, rendering the flowers sterile but long lasting in the landscape. This is an undesirable characteristic for the plant, but a boon for the gardener. Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month – Vine Hill Manzanita
Monday, March 15, 2010
Garden Director
One of the Garden’s most admired plants year-round is the elegantly shaped Vine Hill manzanita (Arctostaphylos densiflora). Each spring, tiny pink flowers grace its slender, sinuously shaped branches. While in flower, it is guaranteed to catch your eye.
Vine Hill manzanita possesses the attractive evergreen foliage, peeling dark red bark, and bell-shaped flowers that are common among manzanitas. Almost all manzanita species are found in the chaparral regions of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia south to much of northern and central Mexico. Interestingly, three Arctostaphylos species, the bearberries, are instead adapted to arctic and subarctic climates and have a circumpolar distribution in North America, Asia and Europe.
Endemic to a small area in the California chaparral, and considered endangered in its native range, Vine Hill manzanita is truly a unique and interesting plant for a Northwest garden. Despite its limited distribution in nature, it can thrive in our area when given full sun, well-drained soil, and good air circulation. This is a shrub that loves drought once established. No need to bother with summer watering!
Vine Hill manzanita is available to purchase at the Kruckeberg Garden, and several cultivars are available in other nurseries that offer variations in size, form, hardiness, and flower color. All are lovely additions to a sunny area in any gardener’s collection. Read more...
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Chinese witchhazel
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Though worth growing for its fragrance alone, this shrub also has other attributes. In the autumn, the downy gray-green leaves add some color to the garden as they turn from yellow to red. In the winter, the flowers’ pollen is a food source for hummingbirds during the cold, lean months. This remarkably tolerant shrub has few insect and disease problems, and little pruning is usually needed.
In their native habitat, Chinese witchhazels grow best in the understory or at woodland edges. They need decent soil and a blend of sun and dappled shade to reach their full potential. Plant one where you will walk near it in the winter, and enjoy!Kruckeberg Plant of the Month
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Holly osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus)
By Sarah Baker, Kruckeberg Garden Directror
Special to the ShorelineAreaNews English Holly (Ilex aquifolium), with its glossy evergreen leaves and bright red berries, has been valued since ancient times for its beauty during the winter season. It became part of Solstice and Christmas celebrations, and as these traditions spread around the world holly maintained its prominence as a part of holiday décor.
Holly may be a valued holiday tradition, but ecologically it’s a bit of a tragedy. Our Pacific Northwest climate is similar to its native range which allows it to thrive in our area. Birds eat the plentiful fruits, spreading them to our native forests and forest remnants in urban areas. The result is that English holly is now frequently found where it shouldn’t be; naturalizing in Puget Sound lowland forests.
Photo by Sten Porse
This tough and dependable shrub thrives at the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden with little or no care. It is drought tolerant, thrives in our shady woodland gardens, and works well as a screen along fences. We let it grow in its natural shape, though osmanthus responds well to heavy pruning and is a popular hedge plant. It grows at a moderate pace, eventually reaching a height of 8-10 feet.
Photo by wakanmuri
It can be hard to replace a valued but villainous plant in your landscape. However, there are many great alternatives available when replacing English holly. Besides osmanthus, these include:
• Tall Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) – This tough native shrub lacks the robust shape of English holly, but has a similarly shaped and spiny evergreen leaf. In the spring it is covered with yellow flowers that form copious blue berries in late summer.
Photo by nautical2k
• Hybrid hollies – Cultivars of the hybrid holly Ilex x meserveae are non-invasive, with lovely holly foliage and lots of red berries. However, because male and female flowers are on separate plants you must plant a plant of each gender to get berries. Thus, the cultivars have names like ‘Blue Boy’ and ‘Blue Girl’, ‘Blue Prince’ and ‘Blue Princess,’ and ‘China Girl’ and ‘China Boy’ that denote the plant’s gender. Read more...
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