Arboretum Foundation

06/17/2026

Something exciting is happening in the Arboretum wetlands! Restoration of our beloved Waterfront Trail has finally begun.

The trail along the shoreline of Foster Island connecting to Marsh Island and the Montlake Lid is one of the Arboretum’s most spectacular and popular features. It offers scenic views of Union Bay and amazing opportunities to encounter wetland plant and wildlife biodiversity in the heart of the city. 🦫🦅🦆

However, it is well overdue for a makeover. Portions of the trail are often submerged or difficult to navigate, especially in the spring and summer months, when the Army Corps of Engineers raises the water level in Lake Washington.

Designs for rebuilding portions of the floating boardwalk and on-grade paths have been in the works since 2018. However, a permitting backlog and delay at the state and federal level—caused by the Covid pandemic and changes in the federal review process—put the project on hold.

Now our partners at Seattle Parks and Recreation have gotten the green light and can proceed with phase 1, which encompasses the trail and floating boardwalk restoration on Foster Island.

The trail is scheduled to reopen in early 2027.

MORE DETAILS: https://arboretumfoundation.org/2026/05/28/waterfront-trail-restoration-project-starting/

📷 Arboretum beaver and river otter photos courtesy Larry Hubbell unionbaywatch.

06/13/2026

Late-spring sampler 🌸🌺 from around the Arboretum - and the world!

1. Kalmia latifolia ‘Fuscata’, a cultivated variety of the mountain laurel, a shrub from the eastern U.S., in the Woodland Garden. It was selected for its compact habit and burgundy-and-white petals.

2. Magnolia wilsonii, native to western China, on the northeast corner of the Magnolia Collection, along Arboretum Drive. It is classified as endangered in its home range due to habitat loss and collecting (for traditional medicine).

3. Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in the main Magnolia Family Collection. It’s the tallest hardwood tree in its native Eastern North America. The specimens in our small grove date to 1937 and are well over 100 feet tall.

4. Western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale) in the Cascadia Entry Garden. Native to Oregon and California, the shrub is very attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

5. The unusual Hydrangea serratifolia growing on a Douglas fir in the Chile Entry Garden. Native to mountain forests in Chile and Argentina, this evergreen vine (with a light, fruity fragrance) can climb up to 30 feet high.

6. Henry’s star anise (Illicium henryi), from China, on the eastern edge of the Dan Hinkley Asian Maple Collection. Though related to Illicium verum, the source of the star anise spice, this small evergreen tree is toxic to humans and grown for its ornamental appeal.

7. Birch-leaf viburnum (Viburnum betulifolium), from western and central China, in the Pacific Connections Garden. The deciduous shrub is prized for its purplish-brown, birch-like foliage, fragrant late-spring flowers, and abundant bright-red fall fruits.

8. Gaultheria insana, an evergreen shrub from Chile, in lower Rhododendron Glen. Though related to our native salal (Gaultheria shall on), which has edible fruits, this species is highly toxic, capable of causing permanent brain damage in humans, as hinted in the species name.

06/10/2026

The lovely Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) in bloom on the south perimeter of the Tea Family collection in the Arboretum.

Native to Japan and Korea, it is a true four-season super star, with elegant form, beautiful late-spring to early summer blooms, gorgeous fall color, and stunning peeling bark. Slide left to see photos of the mature bark and autumn foliage.

Garden designer Corinne Kennedy has profiled the tree in our quarterly magazine, the Arboretum Bulletin. She writes about the specimens in the and the larger Arboretum and provides tips on how to grow the plant in the Pacific Northwest.

FULL ARTICLE: https://arboretumfoundation.org/2026/06/03/japanese-stewartia/

06/04/2026

A high-season hodgepodge of handsome flowers from around the Arboretum.

1. Himalayan strawberry tree (Cornus capitata) in the future China Forest area along the Loop Trail. Our lone specimen of this small, deciduous Chinese tree came from .

2. Hybrid sweetshrub (Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’) in the Centennial Summer Garden.

3. The Hybrid deutzia (Deutzia x magnifica ‘Erecta’) in the Sorbus Collection area. One of three specimens we received from the in 1963.

4. Rhododendron yuefengense, a compact species native to China, in Rhododendron Glen. Sourced from .

5. Mining bee visiting our native Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus) in the Cascadia Forest.

6. Hybrid rock rose (Cistus x purpureus ‘Alan Fradd’) in the sunny perennial border on the south side of the Big Greenhouse.

7. Callistemon subulatus ‘Dark Red’ in the Australia Entry Garden.

8. The sweet-scented Himalayan hydrangea (Hydrangea heteromalla) in the China Entry Garden at Pacific Connections. Wild-sourced by and in 2008.

9. Mint bush (Prosanthera cuneata) in the Australia Entry Garden.

10. Sierra laurel (Leucothoe davisiae), native to southern Oregon and northern California, in the Cascadia Forest garden. Wild-collected by in the Siskiyou National Forest in 2008.

05/30/2026

A LANDMARK MOMENT FOR THE JAPANESE GARDEN

This summer marks a rare and meaningful chapter in the life of the Seattle Japanese Garden at the Arboretum. Later this month, we will embark on the Ishigaki Wall and Accessible Pathway Project, a once-in-a-generation restoration.

The $2.8 million investment will replace the Garden’s aging north stone wall with a hand-placed granite ishigaki wall, built using time-honored techniques. At the same time, a new, accessible looped pathway will allow more visitors to enjoy the tranquil beauty of the pond shoreline.

While the Garden will be closed from June 22 through July 27 for initial demolition work, we invite you to mark your calendars for a visit while this historic transformation unfolds. It’s a unique opportunity to witness the care, artistry, and vision that will shape the Garden’s future.

MORE DETAILS: https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/ishigaki-wall-project

Rendering courtesy Berger Partnership PS and Hoshide Wanzer Architects.

Project managed by our partner Seattle Parks and Recreation.

05/28/2026

The lovely lime-green spring foliage tips of Douglas fir are prized by foragers for brewing a refreshing herbal tea that’s high in Vitamin C.

The flavor profile is described as “lemony,” “citrusy,” and “zesty.”

Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest and beyond have long used Doug fir and grand fir needles to brew medicinal tonics.

In the latest issue of the Arboretum Bulletin magazine, we discuss the ethnobotany and safe harvesting and use of fir needles for tea (eg. it’s not recommended during pregnancy). We also include a recipe.

FULL ARTICLE: https://arboretumfoundation.org/2026/05/14/douglas-fir-tea/

05/15/2026

Have a floriferous weekend!

Here’s just a sampling of blossoms from around the Arboretum.

1. The tree peony Paeonia lutea var. ludlowii, native to Tibet, in the peony section along Arboretum Drive. This specimen came to us from the North American Rock Garden Society in 1970.

2. Oyama magnolia (Magnolia sieboldii), native to China, Japan, and Korean, on the Visitors Center Terrace. After its first flush of bloom, it will keep blooming intermittently until late summer.

3. Chilean lantern tree (Crinodendron hookerianum) in the future Chile Forest area along the Loop Trail. Though the flowers look good enough to eat, the plant is actually toxic to humans.

4. Rock’s peony (Paeonia rockii), native to China, in the China Entry Garden at Pacific Connections. It is named for Austrian-American botanist and explorer Joseph Rock (1884–1962).

5. Chilean fire tree (Embothrium coccineum), native to Chile and Argentina in the future Chile Forest area along the Loop Trail. In its home range, the tree is pollinated by both hummingbirds and insects.

6. Blue blossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus), native to the Coast Range foothills of Oregon and California, in the Cascadia Forest garden. The flowers of this large evergreen shrub are magnets for native bees.

7. Illicium simonsii, a small evergreen tree from China, India, and Myanmar, blooming in Rhododendron Glen. The species is a recent introduction to horticulture. Our specimen came from a wild collection made by explorer Dan Hinkley in 2000.

8. Hybrid rhody (Rhododendron ‘Snow Queen’) in Rhododendron Glen. This specimen dates to 1964 and is still blooming beautifully.

05/13/2026

Volunteers from the nonprofit Friends of Arboretum Creek and our Arboretum Garden Stewards program working with staff on a pilot project to seed native grasses into the restored floodplain of the Loop Trail wetlands.

The Friends get together on the first Friday of each month (March to November) for work parties in the wetlands. They are also the masterminds behind a multi-million dollar project (now managed by ) to restore year-round water flow in the Creek and bring fish and other wildlife back to our watershed.

See the link in our profile to the Friends website for more details and also to sign up for a work party.

05/10/2026

Flowers for !

As always this time of year, the rhododendrons are in peak bloom around the Arboretum.

1. Rhododendron ‘Ken Janeck’ in the Hybrid Rhododendron Garden on Azalea Way.
2. Rhododendron ‘Noble Mountain’ in the Hybrid Rhododendron Garden.
3. Rhododendron hippophaeoides ‘Haba Shan’ on the hillside above Azalea Way pond.
4. Rhododendron ‘Seaview Sunset’ in the Hybrid Rhododendron Garden.
5. Rhododendron ‘Sir Charles Lemon’ on the Visitors Center terrace.
6. Rhododendron davidsonianum, native to China, in lower Rhododendron Glen.

05/09/2026

A stroll in the Arboretum on Mother’s Day is a Seattle rite of spring. The Seattle Times recommends a flower walk down iconic Azalea Way, as well as some other floral hotspots around town.

From Discovery Park to Burke-Gilman, Seattle’s parks, neighborhoods and trails are blooming with life this time of year.