Ted and Mary Greig Garden 50 Trees and Shrubs of Interest

TED and MARY GREIG RHODODENDRON GARDEN 50 Trees and Shrubs of Interest

1 Acer griseum

Acer griseum is not a typi- Buddleja globosa is also a relative of Buddleja davi- cal maple. It has a leaf that dii, the fragrant, purple butterf y bush that is commonly does not look like what one found naturalized in British Columbia and considered expects when thinking of a an invasive weed in Greater Vancouver, Southern maple leaf – like the one on Vancouver Island and on the Sunshine Coast. Buddle- the Canadian f ag. Instead, ja globosa is signif cantly less invasive, and should be it has compound leaves, considered by gardeners as an alternative to Buddleja made up of three leaf ets davidii. that are green on top and silvery blue-green on their undersides. Its most striking 5 Camellia ‘Donation’ ornamental feature is its f aky, peeling, reddish-brown bark, which gives it its common name, paperbark ma- This camellia is an excellent, ple. large specimen. Unlike most cultivated camellia hybrids, 2 Albizia julibrissin the f owers of Camellia ‘Do- nation’ do not remain on A fast-growing deciduous tree, mimosa has large bi- the shrub as they begin to pinnately compound leaves that are up to half a metre turn brown. These f owers, long, but each of which is made up of very small, f nely instead, fall to the ground textured individual leaf ets. In the summer, it produces immediately after they have passed their prime, giving unique fuzzy pink f owers that give way in the fall to Camellia ‘Donation’ a much cleaner look than that of bean-pod type fruit that persist into winter, even after many camellias. the leaves have fallen. It is native from Iran to central China, but has become naturalized in several regions 6 Camellia sinensis in the southern United States. Camellia sinensis is the plant 3 Buddleja alternifolia that tea leaves come from. White, green, black and Buddleja alternifolia is commonly know as fountain oolong tea are all made butterf y bush for its long, slender wands of fragrant, from the young leaves of light purple f owers. These f owers are produced in the this evergreen shrub. It pro- spring, earlier than those of its more common relative duces small camellia-like Buddleja davidii. It is attractive to both butterf ies and f owers, and is also used to hummingbirds, but like Buddleja davidii, may be inva- make some food colourings. Tea camellia is native to sive. South and Southeast Asia.

4 Buddleia globosa 7 Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Orange butterf y bush is a This katsura tree, located lanky deciduous shrub that along the western edge of has small orange f owers ar- the pitch and putt course, ranged in 2 cm-wide round is perhaps the largest in heads. These fragrant f ow- Vancouver. It had a dense, ers appear in mid-May and wide-spreading crown of later in the summer develop small heart-shaped leaves, into dry, brown, rounded which turn a lovely warm seed heads. It is native to apricot colour in the fall and, interestingly, develop a the Andes of Chile, Argentina and Peru. faint burnt sugar smell. In the spring, the katsura’s new leaves emerge purple and mature to a bluish-green. 1 8 Clerodendrum trichotomum row blue-green leaves, and which produces extremely Harlequin glorybower, as Clerodendrum trichotomum fragrant lilac-coloured f ow- is commonly known, is a small, coarse, deciduous tree ers in late winter. In the sum- that has soft, hairy leaves. Small white f owers are pro- mer, it develops pea-sized duced in late summer and early fall and eventually green berries that eventual- give way to bright blue fruit, each of which is framed ly turn red as they ripen. This by a bright red star-shaped calyx. Clerodedrum tricho- particular specimen is quite tomum also goes by a second common name, pea- old and larger than most. Its nut butter tree, because of the scent its leaves give off leaves and berries are highly toxic if ingested. when crushed, although this smell is considered quite unpleasant by some. 13 Davidia involucrata

9 Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ Davidia involucrata is a de- lightful tree. From late spring Pagoda dogwood is a small, to mid-summer, the under- deciduous, multi-stemmed side of its canopy appears tree that has a relatively to drip with what looks like small, variegated green hundreds of white hand- and white leaf. It has a dis- kerchiefs. These are bracts tinctively horizontal branch- (leaf-like parts located just ing pattern and produces above the downwards fragrant, yellowish-white hanging f ower), two of which surround each f ower, f owers in the May. The cul- giving it the f tting common names of handkerchief tivar name of this specimen, ‘Argentea,’ means silver, tree or dove tree. The bracts f rst appear in May and referencing the foliage variegation. The leaves of dog- persist until the end of July, by which time the f ow- woods are typically arranges oppositely, but those of ers they f ank have matured into tan-coloured, oval- the pagoda dogwood are unique in that they are ar- shaped fruit. ranged alternately. 14 Decaisnea fargesii 10 Cornus f orida ‘Rubra’ Decaisnea fargesii is a rather unusual plant, a hint Cornus f orida ‘Rubra’ is a about which should be taken from the names by pink-f owered cultivated va- which it is commonly known – dead man’s f ngers or riety of f owering dogwood, blue sausage fruit. These names come from the strik- which is native to eastern ing blue broad bean-like fruit that the plant produces and central North America. in the fall. Surprisingly, the beans inside these pods are In the wild it grows as an un- edible, and although sweet, they are quite bland. derstory tree and thus in cultivation prefers cool, moist 15 Enkianthus campanulatus soil. Its f owers appear in the spring before the leaves develop and persist for about Enkianthus campanulatus is two weeks. In the fall, the leaves of pink-f owering dog- a medium-sized deciduous wood turn a striking purplish-red. shrub that produces clusters of white, bell-shaped 11 Corylopsis sinensis f owers with f ne red veins in May. It gets its common Throughout the month of name, redvein enkianthus, March, Chinese witch ha- from these f owers. In the zel is covered with fragrant, fall, its dark green leaves pale primrose yellow f ow- turn bright shades of yellow and orange, or scarlet if ers. In April, it begins to de- the shrub is situated in a sunny location. velop dark green, bristly ser- rated leaves. 16 Garrya elliptica

Also known as silk tassel bush, Garrya elliptca is a deciduous shrub native to the Oregon coast that, most 12 Daphne mezereum notably, produces abundant clusters of long catkins of creamy white f owers in the summer. It is unique in that February daphne is a semi-evergreen shrub with nar it is one of only a few plants that will grow in the dry 2 shade below cedars. ng, they are a pale salmon pink, and later mature to green. 17 Ginkgo biloba 20 Larburnum anagyroides Ginkgo biloba is commonly known as maidenhair tree Golden chain tree is an interesting tree with green bark or, simply, ginkgo. It is an and long, hanging clusters of bright yellow f owers that ancient species, and may are produced in May. Laburnum anagyoides is in the have been around, in the pea family (Fabaceae), something that is apparent by same form as it exists today, the presence of the bean-like fruit produced on the when the dinosaurs roamed tree in late summer. All parts of the plant can be toxic the earth. With age, ginkgo when ingested. can grow to be enormous, although this specimen is still 21 Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Variegata’ young and small. Its leaves are fan-shaped and are arranged in clusters of 3-5 individuals; in the summer they This tulip tree is a lovely are medium green but turn bright golden yellow in the specimen with variegated fall. Female plants produce a small round orange fruit leaves, which are at their that is malodorous and can be very messy if planted peak in the late spring or above a sidewalk or patio. Ginkgo has been used in early summer. It gets its traditional medicine to improve memory and circula- name from the beautiful tion; modern scientif c research indicates that ginkgo yellowish-green and or- may be particularly useful in improving circulation to ange tulip-like f owers that it the brain in elderly patients. produces in the spring. It is native to eastern North America, from Massachusetts 18 Kalmia latifolia west to Wisconsin and south to Florida and Mississippi. Another enormous, non-variegated tuliptree is located Mountain laurel, as Kalmia in the grassy area northeast of the tennis courts. latifolia is commonly known, is a broadleaf evergreen 22 Lithicarpos densif orus shrub. Although this specimen is small - only about a Tanbar oak is a small broad- metre and a half in height leaf evergreen tree with – Kalmia can grow to be up thick, leathery, oblong to 4.5 metres tall. It has fairly leaves with a wavy-toothed small, leathery dark green border. It has chestnut-like leaves and pale pink, f ve-sided, cup-shaped f owers f owers, but oak-like acorns borne in terminal clusters. The f ower buds have pleat- with a saucer-shaped cup ed edges, and open to look like miniature upside-down covered with dense bristles. petticoats. Mountain laurel’s native range is across the east coast of North America from Quebec to Florida and west to Ohio and Tennessee. All parts of the plant The Magnolia Walk is a special section of the Ted and are toxic, particularly its leaves. Mary Greig Garden where a variety of unique magnolias are featured. This part of the garden was devel- 19 Koelreteuria paniculata oped by Greig Rhododendron Garden head garden- er Gerard Picher in the early 1990s. A few of the most Golden raintree, as Koelre- striking specimens are described below. teuria paniculata is commonly known, is a decidu- 23 Magnolia dawsoniana ous tree that produces dry, papery, orange lantern- This specimen is probably the largest Magnolia daw- like fruit. These fruit persist soniana in Greater Vancouver. It was donated to the through the fall as the tree’s park in the 1970s by Vancouver resident Ellen Haley who compound leaves turn a was moving to Nanaimo and was unable to move her beautiful bright golden yel- plant collection with her. Dawson’s magnolia can be low colour, into the winter all the way up until new identif ed by its rough bark, which is unique amongst leaves are produced. This magnolias. Its f owers appear in early spring and are Koelreteuria is a very large specimen. While its exact white, tinged with pink. This magnolia is located slightly age is unknown, it is probably at least 60 years old. east of the Magnolia Walk. When Koelreteuria’s leaves f rst appear in the late spri- 3 24 Magnolia ‘Barbara Cook’ in June. These are some of the only fragranced magnolia f owers, although the scent produced by Magno- Magnolia ‘Barbara Cook’ is a hybrid magnolia named lia tripetala is quite unpleasant. after the wife of former Greig Garden head garden- er, Alleyne Cook. Vibrant pink hanging f owers are 29 Magnolia virginiana produced in the spring before its dark green leaves emerge. Sweetbay magnolia is a pyramidal, evergreen tree that is native along the east coast of North America 25 Magnolia hypoleuca from Massachusetts to Florida to Texas. It has creamy- white, faintly lemon-scented f owers that are produced Japanese white-barked throughout the summer, even into early fall. They are magnolia is, as its name reminiscent of water lily f owers. This magnolia is not lo- suggests, native to Japan. cated within the magnolia walk, but at the northwest This species has enormous, corner of the pitch and putt course. highly-ornamental and strongly scented f owers 30 Magnolia wilsonii with cream-coloured petals and crimson-pink stamens Magnolia wilsonii is a rather which bloom in June. The unique magnolia with large, young leaves and f ower buds are edible and in Japan showy, pendulous f owers. Magnolia hypoleuca is grown for its medicinal bark. In- These f owers are pure white terestingly, it is also highly tolerant of atmospheric pol- with a purple centre and lution. have a sweet, almost lem- ony scent. During its peak 26 Magnolia sieboldii blooming period in the late spring, Wilson’s magnolia is Oyama magnolia is a rath- best viewed from immediately below, where one can er small tree, reaching a gaze directly up into the downwards-hanging f owers. height of only about 3 to 7 metres. It has unique cup- 31 Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’ shaped, downwards-hanging white f owers with rose Yellow lantern magnolia centres that appear in early produces beautiful pale yel- summer, later than most low coloured f owers, which magnolias. It will, howev- are unique in that they er, continue to produce the odd f ower sporadically emerge at the same time throughout the summer. as the leaves do, whereas most magnolias f ower be- 27 Magnolia x soulangiana fore they leaf out. The specimen on the Magnolia Walk Saucer magnolia is a small is being steadied by a chain attached to a maple on deciduous tree that only the other side if the path. ever reaches a height of about 5 metres. It has a 32 Metasequoia glyptostroboides multi-stemmed habit and produces perfectly bell- Dawn redwood is a decidu- shaped pale pink f owers ous conifer, a characteristic tinged with purple in the that is rather unique. Dawn spring before its dark green redwood is also distinctive leaves appear. in that rather than shedding individual needles in the fall, 28 Magnolia tripetala it sheds entire branchlets. The contrast of its nearly Magnolia tripetala, or um- lime green needles and brella magnolia as it is com- reddish bark is quite striking. It likes moist soil and will monly known, has enormous tolerate boggy conditions; this pair of specimens thrive apple-green leaves that off of the low-lying, moist ground beside Lost Lagoon. may grow to be up to 60 The tree is native to Szechuan, China, and was only cm long. It produces large, introduced to the rest of the world in 1948. upright, creamy white f ow- 4 33 Nothofagus antarctica needles have a surprising, but pleasant scent, reminiscent of vanilla and lemon to some, or violets, pineap- Antarctic beech is a small deciduous tree. It has at- ple or apples to others. Each of the scales on its very tractive, scaly bark, and small, f nely toothed leaves, large cones has a distinct recurved prickle on it. and it produces small, highly fragrant f owers in the spring. It is native to South America, and can be found 38 Pinus ponderosa growing from Cape Horn north to the Andes. Ponderosa pine is one of 34 Osmanthus delaveyi British Columbia’s native conifers, and can also be Delavey osmanthus, or found in the wild all the way Delavey tea olive, as it is south to Mexico and east sometimes known, is a fairly to South Dakota and Tex- large broadleaf evergreen as. It has long needles that shrub. It has small, glossy are arranged in clusters of green leaves and produces three. Mature ponderosa blue-black fruit in the sum- pines have thick, scaly grey or cinnamon-coloured mer. Its most notable fea- bark that provides protection against damage from ture, however, is the fra- wildf res. Pinus ponderosa can become quite a large grance produced by its plentiful small, white f owers tree, growing to be up to 30 metres tall, although this that bloom in early spring. Its name comes from the particular specimen is still quite small. Greek osme, fragrance, and anthos, f owers. Delaveyi is the Latinized name of Abbe Jean Marie Delavey, 39 Prunus serrulata ‘Ukon’ who was a missionary in China and who f rst introduced the species to France in the late 19th century. The f owers of this ornamental cherry are very unusual. 35 Paulowonia tomentosa The petals of the Ukon f owering cherry are a variegat- The empress tree is a large, fast-growing tree that pro- ed combination of white, duces large panicles of powerfully scented f owers pink and green, giving a sur- that are reminiscent of lilacs, in May before the leaves prising overall impression of appear. The underside of the Paulowonia’s leaves are being pale green. densely covered with f ne hairs. In youth, the empress tree grows extremely quickly and produces very large leaves that are signif cantly bigger than those of the 40 Quercus frainetto adult tree. A mature Paulowonia can be cut to the ground and will re-sprout from the trunk, again produc- Italian oak, or Hungarian ing large leaves. It is tolerant of most conditions and oak, as Quercus frainetto has ‘escaped’ from cultivation in the eastern United is also known, has a unique States and is considered an invasive species there. leaf that usually has about seven lobes on each side 36 Phellodendron amurense and that taper towards the stem. It can become a large Amur corktree, as Phellodendron amurense is com- tree, growing up to 30 m, monly known, has a short main stem and thick, wide, and will withstand drought. horizontally4 spreading limbs. It has furrowed grey- Acorns are grouped in clus- brown bark and large, dark green pinnately com- ters of 2-5 and are edible, having traditionally been pound leaves that in the autumn turn a lovely bright used in Italy and eastern Europe, where the plant is golden colour. In the late summer, the tree produces native, as a coffee alternative, as bread f our or as a yellowish grape-like fruit that eventually turn black and thickener in stews. remain on the tree into late fall.

37 Pinus jeffreyi 41 Sambucus racemosa

Often confused with pon- Red elderberry is a leggy, derosa pine, Jeffrey pine deciduous shrub native to has long (5-11 inches), f ex- British Columbia, as well as ible needles, and thick, much of North America, scaly bark and a tall, straight Europe, Siberia and Asia Mi- crown. When crushed, its nor. Its most striking feature is 5 the conical clusters of bright red berries that it pro- conifer. Its leaves are yellowish green and needle-like duces in July. These berries are inedible when and sometimes turn a rich brown in the autumn be- raw, but can be made into a tasty jam, pie or cor- fore they fall off the tree. It is highly tolerant of a variety dial. Sambucus racemosa has pinnately com of soil conditions, and will adapt to wet or dry soil. It is pound leaves and soft, pithy wood. native to parts of eastern North America.

42 Sorbus vilmorinii 47 Trochodendron aralioides

Vilmorin’s mountain ash has Trochodendron aralioides is a small broadleaf ever- f nely textured, almost fern- green tree that produces interesting small, lime-green, like compound leaves which spoked f owers. These f owers give way to dry, brown are made up of many small wheel-shaped fruit in mid- leaf ets. It develops rose-red summer, which give Tro- berries during the summer chodendron its f tting com- that gradually fade to pink- mon name, wheel tree. The ish-white during the winter. name Trochodendron is Sorbus vilmorinii is attractive derived from the Greek tro- to birds and insects as a food plant, and its pink berries chos, wheel, and dendron, on bare branches are striking during the fall and early tree. winter months. 48 Umbellularia californica 43 Stachyrus praecox Umbellularia californica, also known as California bay Early spiketail is an upright, arching, deciduous shrub or Oregon myrtle, is a broadleaf evergreen tree na- that is native to Japan and the Himalayas. It produces tive along the west coast of North America from south- pendulous clusters of pale yellow, bell-shaped f owers west Oregon to southern in early spring, followed by glossy dark green ovate California, as suggested by leaves. its two common names. It has elliptical, dark green, 44 Stewartia pseudocamellia leathery leaves, which are very fragrant, particularly Japanese stewartia is a when crushed. This is not the fairly small deciduous tree plant that bay leaves used that has two distinctive fea- in cooking come from. The tures. It has interesting f aky, leaves of California bay, in fact, can sometimes cause multi-toned bark that gives sneezing and headaches if inhaled or ingested. the tree year-round interest, while in the early summer 49 Viburnum plicatum ‘Lanarth’ it produces delicate white camellia-like f owers with This viburnum is highly f oriferous, producing prolif c f at yellow-orange centres. As its common name suggests, clusters of pure white f owers in May. The entire shrub Stewartia pseudocamellia is native to Japan. appears to be horizontally tiered. 45 Styrax obassia 50 Viburnum carlesii Fragrant snowbell is a fairly small deciduous tree native Korean spicebush is often to Japan, that will reach a mistaken for a lilac, as it has maximum height of 9 metes, tubular, white, lilac-like f ow- although this particular ers that are arranged in tight, rounded clusters, and specimen is less than half which a magnif cent scent. These stunning f owers f rst that height. It has 20 cm- emerge in late April or early long, broadly ovate leaves May and are blush pink as that are dark green on top the buds open, but gradu- and have f ne hairs on their undersides. It produces ally fade to pure waxy white pendulous clusters of fragrant white f owers in mid to as they mature. late May and then small, dry ovoid fruit that are about 2 cm in diameter.

46 Taxodium distichum

Common baldcypress is another unusual deciduous 6 Ceperley Meadow 46 47 39 Lost Lagoon 5 7 49 35 15 12 29 AZALEA WALK 48 CAMELLIA6 19 WALK 3 27 8 21 13 32 43 24 Pitch & Putt Course 31 23 MAGNOLIA 28 2530 4 41 17 WALK 44 35 45 26 47 11 22 10 20 14 50 Lagoon Drive 36 35 e 38 Haro Street 9

2 nley Park Driv Sta

34 18 37 42 Nelson Street 40 33 1

16 Comox Stree Park Board Office

1 Acer griseum 26 Magnolia sieboldii 2 Albizia julibrissin 27 Magnolia x soulangiana 3 Buddleja alternifolia 28 Magnolia tripetala 4 Buddleja globosa 29 Magnolia virginiana 5 Camellia ‘Donation’ 30 Magnolia wilsonii 6 Camellia sinensis 31 Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’ 7 Cercidiphyllum japonicum 32 Metasequoia glyptostroboides 8 Clerodendrum trichotomum 33 Northofagus antarctica 9 Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ 34 Osmanthus delaveyi 10 Cornus f orida ‘Rubra’ 35 Paulowonia tomentosa 11 Corylopsis sinensis 36 Phellodendron amurense 12 Daphne mezereum 37 Pinus jeffreyi 13 Davidia involucrata 38 Pinus ponderosa 14 Decaisnea fargesii 39 Prunus ‘Ukon’ 15 Enkianthus campanulatus 40 Quercus frainetto 16 Garrya elliptica 41 Sambucus racemosa 17 Ginkgo biloba 42 Sorbus vilmorinii 18 Kalmia latifolia 43 Stachyurus praecox 19 Koelreteuria paniculata 44 Stewartia pseudocamellia 20 Laburnum anagyroides 45 Styrax obassia 21 Liriodendron tulipifera 46 Taxodium distichum 22 Lithocarpos densif orus 47 Trochodendron aralioides 23 Magnolia dawsoniana 48 Umbellularia californica 24 Magnolia ‘Barbara Cook’ 49 Viburnum plicatum ‘Lanarth’ 25 Magnolia hypoleuca 50 Viburnum carlesii 7