Landscape Plant Recognition Arbutus unedo (ERICACEAE) Plant Descriptions Field Day #3 strawberry tree S.E. Europe, Turkey, Lebanon Small infl. Tree to 30ft Serrate Fls w/ corolla, urnshaped, white Berry - Strawberry like ~1 across Many stems Elliptic to oblong Radial Stems red Above lustrous dark green (edible) Unedo = I eat one (boring tasting fruit) Glandular in Fall Trachycarpus fortunei (ARECACEAE) Ovary superior fan palm Young branches glandular, pubescent E. Asia Fan shaped Round but deeply lobed Extremely large, 2-4 ft. Leathery (coriaceous) Long petioles with teeth along margin Radial 3-parted Stamens 6, styles 3 Small, yellow flws in large hanging clusters Fleshy drupe Looks like grape clusters Tree to 60 ft or shrub Unbranched trunk Fibrous hairs on trunk from persisting petioles One of the few palms that are hardy here Trachycarpus = rough fruit Named after Robert Fortune, a plant hunter in the 1800s Fatsia japonica (ARALIACEAE ) South Korea, Japan 7-9 lobed (rounded sinuses) Broadly cordate base Serrate margin Shiny dark green 6-14 wide ~ wider than long Distinct u-shaped leaf scar on branch Extremely long petioles (412 long) Infl Umbels 1-1.5 across 5 parted white Berries. Fleshy, black & round shrub to 15 ft Many large stems Longer on lower leaves Gives a sort of tropical look Page 1 of 7
Prunus subhirtella (ROSACEAE ) flowering cherry Japan Ovate to oblong-ovate 1-2 in. long Sharply, ~ doubly serrate Tip acuminate Lower pubescent on veins Small extra-floral nectary on petiole or leaf base Single or semi-double Pink ½ diameter Prunus serrulata Kwanzan (ROSACEAE) Japanese flowering cherry Japan Purple-black drupe, uncommon, Obovate to obovate-elliptic Apex long acuminate up to 5-6 in. No hair on leaves Coarsely serrate or doubly serrate Pair of extra-floral nectaries near top of petiole - large and noticeable have bronze tinge when new Infl Usually double corymbs Fls. bell shaped calyx tube Pink double Flower appear as the leaves unfold Not fragrant Latest blooming of local cherries Purple-black drupe, uncommon Small tree to 15 ft Many branches Most delicate of the cherries smaller, thinner branches, smaller flowers Young branches pubescent Blooms from late fall to late spring Cherries often don t do well in NW and early bloomers like this often are the worst 'Autumnalis' is the most common cv "subhirtella" means somewhat hairy Tree to 75 ft Deciduous Most common cv of P. serrulata Difficult to tell cultivars apart by leaves. P. serrulata cvs: cv. Shirotae ( Mt. Fugi ) horizontal branches, semidouble, white when open, early cv. Ukon flws pale green, midseason serrulata=small saw, refers to leaf margin Page 2 of 7
Prunus yedoensis (ROSACEAE) Yoshino cherry Japan Viburnum davidii (ADOXACEAE) Serrate Stipluate Broadly ovate to lanceolate Narrows to slender point at apex hair on veins below Lvs vivid green Infl 4-6 fls 5 petals Long calyx tube Larger than P. subhirtella Pale pink Purple-black drupe, uncommon W. China Opposite, Elliptic to oval 2-6 long, 1-2½ wide Distinctly 3-veined Secondary veins like ladder between primary veins Toothed towards apex Dark-bluish green above Paler below Leathery Infl Flat umbel-like, 2-3 wide No sterile outer flowers Radial (actinomorphic) Corolla - 5 lobed Stamens 5 White to pinkish Cunninghamia lanceolata (CUPRESSACEAE) China fir China Drupe metallic blue Cones Spirally arranged, 2-ranked Decurrent (base extending downward along branch) Linear-lanceolate, ~2 long Finely serrate margin Sharply pointed 2 broad stomatal bands below May get a red-bronze color in harsh winters shed as branchlets Cones subglobose 1.5-2 in Pointed, irregularly serrate scales Small tree to 50 ft Hairs on new branchlets Hairs on inflorescence and calyx before or with leaves Believed to be a hybrid (P. serrulata x P. subhirtella ) and intermediate in characters to both Small shrub to 3-4 ft Warty branchlets Indestructible plant, good for parking lots (tolerates compacted soil and is lowgrowing) Tree to 100 ft, Often multi-trunked, drooping branches Bark brownish-reddish inner bark), scaling off in irregular plates 'Glauca' is a bluish cultivar Cunninghamia after James Cunningham, a doctor in China in the late 1600s lanceolata=lance-shaped, refers to leaves Formerly TAXODIACEAE Page 3 of 7
Landscape Plant Recognition Cupressus nootkatensis (CUPRESSACEAE) Plant Descriptions Field Day #3 Alaskan cedar Alaska to Oregon Cones Scale-like Closely appressed Laterals & facials similar length (lats barely longer) Foliage not as sweet smelling as Thuja plicata No markings on back (C.lawsoniana has a white Y or X) (C. lawsoniana laterals larger than facials) Cones subglobose soccer ball Male cone yellow (red for C. lawsoniana) Tree to 130 ft Branches ascending or spreading, forming narrow pyramid Branchlets ~ pendulous formerly Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, also Xanthocyparis nootkatensis Pieris japonica (ERICACEAE) E. China, Taiwan, Japan (looks whorled but is simply compressed) Oblanceolate to lanceolate Serrulate Glabrous Above- shiny green Lower duller green Pendulous infl. (panicles/ branched racemes) 2 ½ to 5 inches long Fls urn shaped, white 5 sepals & petals, fused 10 stamens Dry capsules Shrub to 8-9 ft early in spring New growth orange to red (some cultivars are selected for this) Many cultivars: Forest Flame new leaves brilliant red Variegata leaves w/white variegated margins Hamamelis (HAMAMELIDACEAE) witch-hazel E. Asia, E. North America, Short petiole Base oblique Margin deeply undulate or serrate Palmate and pinnate veins on same leaf Parallel veins asymmetric at base (all the way up on many). Secondary veins go all the way to the margins. Deciduous stipules ~ 5-6 across Clusters on short shoots in leaf axils Sepals 4, small and persistent Petals 4, long and linear, colored yellow, orange or red, most like crinkled tissue paper Stamens 4 Stamenoids w/nectar, 4 Styles 2 4-lobed capsule Fuzzy Splits open to eject 2 seeds Shrubs or small trees to 35 ft Spreading form Deciduous Buds brown and fuzzy Bark gray Nice fall color before leaves, usually in late winter/early spring Some species dead leaves persist Page 4 of 7
Azara microphylla (SALICACEAE) S. America Entire Obovate or round Lvs of two different sizes paired at nodes. Stalked clusters in leaf axils Tiny non-showy flowers Yellow (due to stamens) Vanilla or chocolate scented Sepals 5, No petals Numerous stamens Style 1 Round fleshy red to orange berry w/ persistent style. Small tree to 30 ft, upright Can be good for narrow areas but form is often a bit untidy Can be coppiced to control growth Slender twigs (formerly in the family Flacourtiaceae) microphylla means little leaves Erica (ERICACEAE) heath (also heather) Europe, Africa, W. and C. Asia or in whorls of 3 to 6 Small, linear, green Margins revolute Very short petioles Often lined with stalked glands. Infl. located in axils or terminally (spikes or panicles) Small, tubular or urn shaped White to deep pink Sepals 4, fused at base Petals 5, fused, but w/4 lobes. Stamens 8. Style 1, long Capsules with 4 valves Sepals persistent Primarily low shrubs, some trees to 20 ft Densely branched Often flowers in early to mid spring 500 species, center of diversity is in South Africa Page 5 of 7
Calluna vulgaris (ERICACEAE) heather N. and W. Europe to Siberia, Turkey, Morocco and the Azores, various colors Opposite and decussate Scale-like leaves (very tiny) Sessile (no petiole) Colors may vary on branchlets Infl. (one-sided spikes) Calyx 4-parted, colored Corolla bell-shaped, 4 lobed Stamens 8 Style 1 Flower color usually in the pink range Capsule 4 valved Sepals persistent, covering fruit. Low-growing shrub to 3 ft. (looks like Erica, but scalelike leaves) Numerous cultivars with colored foliage ranging from plain greens to vibrant reds and oranges Mostly summer flowering Magnolia (MAGNOLIACEAE) magnolia Asia, eastern N.A., Central America, Pinnately veined Leaf shape ovate to obovate Can be large (up to 25 ) Large deciduous scales protect buds, leaving a ring around stem. Solitary on ends of branches, Large and showy Radially symmetric Tepals 6 to 9 (or up to 33 ) whorls of 3. Stamens many, often with red filaments Stamens spirally arranged around the many pistils White, pink, purple, green, rarely yellow, Often scented Magnolia stellata (MAGNOLIACEAE) star flower magnolia Japan Aggregate of follicles Seeds embedded in an elongate receptacle The hard, brown seeds are enclosed in a fleshy colored (red, orange, or pink) seed cover Seeds suspended by threads Entire Large stipules Obovate To 5 long Solitary & terminal Radial Lots of tepals (8-25) that are 3-5 long Tepals reflexed back Many stamens spirally arranged Follicles (Reminiscent of a pine cone) Trees to 60 ft, or shrubs or deciduous One of the most primitive genera of flowering plants Large buds with fuzzy scales often noticeable in winter appear before leaves in many species Shrub or small tree Deciduous appear before leaves early in spring Stellata=star Also known as: Magnolia kobus var. stellata Page 6 of 7
Epimedium (BERBERIDACEAE) Mediterranean to temperate E. Asia Ternately compound Cordate Serrulate or with sharp points Palmately veined Petiole is long thin and wirylooking. Small, nodding in inflorescences Radial, Yellow, purple, pink or white Sepals, 2 whorls of 4 each, outer ones fall early, inner ones petal-like Petals 4, flat or spur-like Stamens 4, Anthers open from flaps at the base. Capsule w/several seeds Seeds have fleshy aril Not commonly seen Perennials 0.5-1.5 ft or deciduous groundcover Has creeping rhizomes. Good in dry shade Cut back in early spring for nice looking growth Camellia (THEACEAE) camellia E. Himalayas, Japan, Malaysia Usually serrate Leathery No stipules Solitary or few clustered in leaf axils Usually sessile (no pedicel), Radial, Large and showy, white, pink, red Bracts and sepals fall away as flower opens Sepals 5 Petals 5merous (or multiples), Many stamens, fused at base and to petals Capsule Trees to 45 ft or shrubs C. sinensis is the source of tea C. sasanqua is an early bloomer, C. japonica has blossom rot in this climate, C. Xwilliamsii better (cross of C. saluenensis x C. japonica produced by JC Williams in the early 1930s) Page 7 of 7