Ceanothus (RHAMNACEAE) California lilac Western North America Alternate Shallowly serrate Pinnately veined or w/ 3 main veins from the base. Cercidiphyllum japonicum (CERCIDIPHYLLACEAE) Katsura tree Infl cluster in leaf axils (spike or panicle) Perfect Petals small, hooded and clawed Stamens 5 - opposite petals 3 carpels Intense blue (~ white) 5-merous Capsule Fruit separating at maturity into 3 dehiscent nutlets China, Japan Simple Opposite on delicate-looking petioles Cordate or rounded 2-4 in.long Palmately veined Crenate-serrate margin Dioecious Flws developing from spurs before the leaves No perianth 4 small bracts Males 15-20 stamen Female pistils w/red stigma A small follicle, clustered in leaf axil. Oblong shaped, ~ ¾ inch long w/ small winged seeds. Small shrub or tree to 20 ft ~ thorny Evergreen (mostly) or deciduous C. thyrsifolius and cv Puget Blue are common here. C. gloriosus (Point Reyes C.) low and prostrate, blue fls, dark green lvs, good in hot dry locations Ceanothus is the Greek name for a spiny plant, but not this genus Deciduous tree to 30 ft Slender, divided near base into several upright branches Yellow or red fall color Bark deeply furrowed and peeling in long strips Distinctive smell in fall 'Cercis' is another genus, 'phyllum' = leaf - means that the leaf looks like Cercis Page 1 of 8
Chaenomeles (ROSACEAE) Japanese or flowering quince China, Japan Alternate/clustered and simple Serrate margin Dark green Stipules large, rounded, and conspicuous on current season's growth Stalkless umbels w/2-4 flowers or solitary. Perfect, Radial Pink, red, white or orange. Sepals 5, fused. Petals 5, (also double forms), waxy. Stamens many. Styles 5. Pome Yellowish to red Shaped like a pear Trees to 45 ft or shrubs Deciduous Often has spines Smooth bark Flowers before leaves Good on slopes Chaeno=split, meles=apple - but fruit is not split Ginkgo biloba (GINKGOACEAE) ginkgo S. China Alternate (~ clusters of 3-5 on spurs) Fan shaped w/parallel veins Incised (bifid lobes) Dioecious Male catkin-like Female cone small, stalked seed with fleshy aril looks like silver plum Smelly pulp Edible Cedrus atlantica (PINACEAE) Atlas cedar Morocco Atlas Mountains Needles rigid Densely clustered on spurs (each spur 1 yrs growth) ~ Triangular, pointed Needles shorter, thicker, Darker green/blue than C. deodara Upright 2-3 in. long Deciduous cones Deciduous tree to 130 ft. Ancient tree used medicinally Open branching pattern Leaves turn golden yellow in fall Mainly used for specimen/focal points. Certain varieties being used as street trees. biloba means two lobed Tree to 125 ft. Blue cultivar most common form used Branches not pendulous, has horizontal structure Mountains Sunny locations Gray bark Page 2 of 8
Aesculus hippocastanum (SAPINDACEAE) common horsechestnut S.E. Europe Opposite Palmately compound No stipules Very large, long petioles Large, sessile leaflets Lflts obovate, serrate Infl terminal upright panicles Flws white with yellow spots (yellow changes to pink after pollination) 3-valved capsules, large Has spines Seed inside is shiny Deciduous tree Large winter buds Large leaf scars - horseshoe with nails Lenticels on branches Branches sweep down, then up Squirrels spread the seed Formerly in Hippocastanaceae Photinia (ROSACEAE) photinia SE Asia Alternate and typically simple. Lanceolate with a short petiole. Margin usually serrate. Bright red new foliage (lasts through season) Flat infl. with white flowers. Sepals 5, fused at base. Petals 5. Stamens many. styles 2 (rarely 3-5) Pome. Red. Trees to 45 ft. and shrubs. Deciduous or evergreen. Fast-growing, tolerant of poor conditions, but subject to leaf blights. Two species sometimes grown, but most in the landscape are a hybrid of the species P. X fraseri Cotoneaster (ROSACEAE) cotoneaster Alternate and usually simple. Sessile or short-petioled. Usually entire margin. Often w/ prominent veins and lower surface of leaf pale. Often pubescent Solitary or in cymes or corymbs, located terminal on short lateral branchlets. Flowers perfect, radial and white, pink or red. Sepals 2-5, fused at base. Petals 5, equal. Stamens approx. 20 with purple/reddish pollen. styles 2-5. Ovary inferior. Insect pollinated (bees). Pomes. Red, black, or orange. Calyx persistent. Shrubs to 15 ft, often creeping or ground hugging. Often branching at about a 45 o angle Evergreen or deciduous. Many species are invasive Page 3 of 8
Cotoneaster dammeri (ROSACEAE) China Alternate, simple, entire Elliptic to elliptic-oblong Base cuneate Upper dark green Under - whitish ~ mucronate tips 4-6 vein pairs Short petioles Solitary, infl. (corymb) or 3 flowers 5 sepals 5 petals rounded, white Stamens purple, ~ 20 Fleshy red/ orange pome w/persistent calyx Trailing evergreen groundcover Gray branchlets pubescent when young Lvs purplish in late fall & winter Roots where branches contact the ground Stiff acute angle branching pattern Euonymus fortunei (CELASTRACEAE) China Opposite Obtusely serrate ~ leathery Cuneate base Margins crenate/serrate Upper distinct veins, esp. midrib Lower veins slightly raised Infl w/few flowers 4-merous Pale green Globose ¼ in across Not common here Evergreen here, some places deciduous Low shrub/climber, often creeping on ground Branchlets green, round in cross-section, warty on older branches Some cultivars variegated around margin or veins Sarcococca ruscifolia (BUXACEAE) fragrant sarcococca Asia Alternate and simple. Broad ovate, half as wide as long with an acuminate apex. Margin entire and undulating. Dark green above and lighter below Glossy and leathery. Monoecious. Short infl. in leaf axils. Small, white, very fragrant. Flower clusters are found in the axis of terminal leaves. Can be either sex or mixed, with females below males. Male flowers: sepals 4, petals none, stamens 4. Female flowers: sepals 4-6, petals none, styles 2-3. Page 4 of 8 Drupe-like berry. Fleshy and subglobose. Red Evergreen shrubs to 4-6 ft and 3-7ft wide. Some species may forms large patches by suckering. Sarkos=greek for flesh, kokkos=a berry Refers to fleshy fruits
Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis (BUXACEAE) sweetbox Asia Usually alternate and simple. Oval to elliptic with Margin entire. 2-3 ½ long and ½ to ¾ wide Dark green and glabrous Slender pointed Stem slightly pubescent Monoecious. Short infl. in leaf axils. Small, white, very fragrant. Flower clusters can be either sex or mixed, with females below males in leaf axils. Male flowers: sepals 4, petals none, stamens 4. Female flowers: sepals 4-6, petals none, styles 2-3. Drupe-like berry. Fleshy and subglobose. Glossy blue black Not showy Low growing evergreen shrubs to 1 ½ ft high and 8+ft wide Good groundcover that spreads by underground runners Some species may forms large patches by suckering. Best species for northern gardens. Can take temperatures down to -3 F Juniperus (CUPRESSACEAE) juniper Northern Hemisphere southward to tropical Africa Awl-shaped, whorled and spreading or scale-like. Often both leaf types on same plant. Dioecious. Males small, catkin-like. Wind pollinated. Female cones 3-8 scaled, that fuse and become round and fleshy (berry-like) when ripe covered with wax. Purple//blue or black or occasionally red. Usually less than ½ across. 1-3 seeds per scale. Bird dispersed seeds. Araucaria araucana (ARAUCARIACEAE) monkey puzzle tree Chile, Argentina Spirally arranged Triangular, stiff, closely overlapping Spiny pointed Parallel veined Persist for ~10 years Dioecious Male 3-5 in, oblong Female 3-9 in, globose, upright Trees up to 90 ft (usually smaller) or prostrate shrubs. Evergreen. Cones are used to flavor gin and smell like gin when crushed Wood of tree junipers used for drawers or to line closets repel moths Tree to 130 ft. Branches symmetrically whorled Young tree covered by leaves Names refer to the indigenous people in the part of Chile in which it is native, they eat the large seeds Page 5 of 8
Pinus coulteri (PINACEAE) Coulter pine California, Mexico Needles (linear leaves) 3 per fascicle Very long (12 in) Dark bluish green Woody cone Very large (14 in.) Cone very spiny Large seeds, rodent dispersed Tree to 75 ft Evergreen Bark dark brown to black, deeply fissured Sequoiadendron giganteum (CUPRESSACEAE) giant Sequoia California Scale-like Lanceolate To ¼ inch long Bluish-green Lvs point towards apex Spiral in 3 longitudinal rows Female cones 2-3 in. long ~1.5 in. diameter Ovoid w/peltate (shield shaped) wrinkled cone scales Very hard and woody Cone upright first year, pendulous second year. Bract indistinct or none Winged seed Huge tree to 325 ft. ~30 ft diameter Grows in mountains Rapid growing tree Spongy, fibrous, red bark Trunk buttressed at base Perfect conical shape. Branchlets, not leaves, shed, so look on ground under tree Very long lived (2-3,000 yrs) Does not take root compaction well formerly TAXODIACEAE Page 6 of 8
Sequoia sempervirens (CUPRESSACEAE) redwood Coastal California and Oregon Mostly linear, alternate Have petiole 2-ranked (flat plane) Lvs shorter at base and tip of branchlet Some scale-like leaves Upper - dark green Lower white stomatal bands and visible mid-rib Woody female cone Ovoid ~ 1 long 15-20 thick wrinkled scales, peltate, spirally arranged Evergreen tree to 370 ft (taller than Sequoiadendron, but not as big around) Bark thick, reddish-brown, fibrous, deeply furrowed Stump sprouts Sheds branchlets not leaves Sequoia was probably a Native American name Semper=always, virens-green formerly TAXODIACEAE Cupressus sempervirens (CUPRESSACEAE) Italian cypress Mediterranean Scale-like Tiny - 0.1-0.4 in long Woody cones Oblong (1 ½ long) Grayish brown 4-6 paired scales Scales flattened Tree to 75 ft., evergreen Columnar shaped when young Bark thick and fibrous; furrowed with age Wilma Goldcrest with yellow lemon-scented leaves, marginally hardy Cupressus from the Latin name for the plants, semper=always, virens=green Page 7 of 8
Calocedrus decurrens (CUPRESSACEAE) incense-cedar Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah Scale-like Whorled set of 4 lvs, much longer than wide Little or no white underneath Laterals almost covering facials Cones oblong (duck s bill when closed) 1-1.5 in long Scales 3-lobed and flat Scales not shield shaped Not very common here Tree to 150 ft, evergreen Bark-flakey when young; reddish-brown and furrowed when mature Young trees growing in open have perfect pyramid shape Branchlets are horizontal and vertical - "fluffy" appearance Good ornamental or wind-break tree, Fast growing Calo=beautiful, cedrus=cedar Decurrens = running down stem Page 8 of 8