Natural History Project
Azzréal Pugh
Washington Park Arboretum: woody plants
 Bigleaf Maple: A tall, woody tree with soaring, bending branches and an abundance of
leaves. Each leaf has five lobes and pointy tips. The leaves have branched venation and
range in size. Some of the leaves are yellowing/browning and falling to the ground.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 2:43 pm on
10/16/06. The weather was wet and rainy. It was cold outside.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Acer
Species: A. macrophyllum
 This tree has wings that help disperse the seeds. Maple syrup is sometimes produced from
the sap of Bigleaf Maple trees.
 Rainy Side Gardeners. < http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/nativeplants
/Acer_macrophyllum.html>. Accessed November 15, 2006.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigleaf_Maple>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Pacific Yew: A tall, branching tree with small needles. There are small nodules between
the needles. The trunk has a brownish-red hue to it. Many of the branches begin low on
the trunk. There are a few brown needles mixed in with the green ones.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 2:54 pm on
10/16/06. The weather was wet and breezy. It was cold outside.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Taxaceae
Genus: Taxus
Species: T. brevifolia
 This tree produces bright-red huckleberry seeds that are attractive and edible for birds, but
poisonous to humans. The foliage of the tree is poisonous to horses and cattle (especially if
it is left to rot).
 Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon (eds.) 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone
Pine Publishing.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Alaska Cedar: The needles are a combination of light and dark green coloration and
interweaved. There is a “braided” pattern up the stems with lots of branching. Some of
the needles are brown. The bark pattern runs vertically up the tree.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 3:02 pm on
10/16/06. The weather was cold and breezy.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Callitropsis
Species: C. nootkatensis
 The inner bark is yellowish and smells like raw potatoes. The native peoples of the
Northwest Coast used this tree to make paddles, boats, dishes, etc.
 Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon (eds.) 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone
Pine Publishing.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Red Alder: The tree I observed was in its early stages. It was more bush than tree-like.
The compound leaves have jagged edges. There are small protrusions between the leaves
where the pine cones were.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 3:18 pm on
10/16/06. The weather was cold and breezy. This tree was found uphill.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Alnus
Species: A. rubra
 The flowers (catkins) appear before the leaves of the tree do. Native Americans used the
tree bark to make a dye for their fishing nets to make them less visible underwater.
 Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon (eds.) 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone
Pine Publishing.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Japanese Maple: A small tree that looks more like a bush. It is found in the understory
and stays low to the ground. Small wings help aid in seed dispersal. At this time, the
leaves are yellow and orange.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 2:00 pm on
11/17/06. The weather was cold, but it was not raining.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Acer
Species: A. palmatum
 This tree is native to Japan and is also widely cultivated there. The leaves of this maple are
occasionally mistaken as Cannabis leaves, but differ in that they are arranged in opposite
pairs, not spirally.
 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Tatar Maple: A deciduous, spreading shrub with a short trunk. The bark is thin and has
a dull brownish color to it. The wings of the tree are used for seed dispersal. The leaves
are nearly all gone because they have fallen, making the tree look more like a bunch of
stems.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 2:15 pm on
11/17/06. The weather was cold, but it was not raining.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Aceraceae
Genus: Acer
Species: A. tataricum
 This tree species is named after the Tatar peoples of Southern Russia. In English, people
commonly spell the tree as “Tarter” instead of “Tatar”
 Mac’s Field Guide to Pacific Northwest Trees. 1994. The Mountaineers.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Japanese Red Pine: The leaves of the tree are needle-like, long and slender. The tree I
observed was likely in its early stages because its trunk was short.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 2:28 pm on
11/17/06. The weather was cold, but it was not raining.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Pinus
Species: P. densiflora
 This tree species is often found in Japan and Korea. It is widely cultivated in Japan for
timber production, often used as an ornamental tree, and it plays an important part in the
classic Japanese garden.
 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Sawtooth Oak: A medium-sized, branching tree of which a majority of the leaves have
fallen. The bark has a grey hue to it. A few acorns are still left on the ground shrouded
by an abundance of leaves.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 2:35 pm on
11/17/06. The weather was cold, and the wind was calm.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fagales
Family: Fagaceae
Genus: Quercus
Species: Q. acutissima
 This tree was widely planted in North America mostly for the benefit of wildlife. The
bitter acorns of the tree sometimes negate this benefit to wildlife; the tree has become an
invasive species in some areas.
 Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon (eds.) 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone
Pine Publishing.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Oriental Photinia: A taller, deciduous shrub. There is evidence on the ground of berries
which have likely been devoured by the birds. The brown branches appear to be firm; no
sign of drooping.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 2:50 pm on
11/17/06. The weather was cold, and the wind was calm.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Photinia
Species: Photinia villosa
 This tree is native to Korea, and it prefers well-drained, acidic soil. It grows well on its
own and rarely needs pruning.
 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
 Nakai: A shorter, deciduous shrub with a wealth of branches. The flowers were still
alive the first time I visited, but they appear to be dead now. The flowers are long and
slender as if they were designed specifically for hummingbirds.
 Found in the Japanese Garden of the Washington Park Arboretum at 3:00 pm on 10/16/06
and 11/17/06. The weather was cold, and the wind was calm.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Dipsacales
Family: Diervillaceae
Genus: Photinia
Species: Photinia villosa
 This shrub is native to Korea; the young leaves are often boiled with rice. These plants
flower often and can literally flower themselves to death.
 Plants For A Future. <http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Weigela+decora>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
Accessed November 15, 2006.
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