PNW Native Plants

Bulletin Articles on Our Beautiful Indigenous Flora

Visitors to the Washington Park Arboretum know that our 230 acres are filled not only with plants from around the world but also from the Pacific Northwest. The plants that make up the “native matrix” are the remnants and offspring of the original vegetation that grew on the land before it was logged in the late 19th century. Many of the mature native trees are now part of the formal plant collection.

Over the years, we’ve published many articles on our beautiful native trees and shrubs. Below is just a selection.

A Native Tree Tour of the Arboretum, by David Zuckerman (Spring 2023)

Designing Native Urban Meadow Gardens, by Shannon Nichol (Summer 2024)

Northwest Natives for Different Garden Microclimates, by Daniel Mount (Fall 2017)

Bigleaf Maple: A Broadleaf Tree With a Lot to Offer, by Theodore Hoss (Summer 2023)

Hidden Treasure of the Arboretum: Pacific Ninebark, by Theodore Hoss (Spring 2023)

Our Majestic Mountain Hemlock, by Theodore Hoss (Winter 2024)

Mapping Western Red Cedar Decline, by Niall Dunne (Summer 2021)

Supporting Urban Biodiversity: Research Shows That Native Plants Provide Better Wildife Benefits, by Niall Dunne (Summer 2025)

Related links

• Getting to Know Our Native Northwest Bees, by Hilary Sardinas (Arboretum Bulletin, Summer 2016)

Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) at Washington Park Arboretum (Photo: Niall Dunne).