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Species and cultivar guides for trees, shrubs, and perennials suited to Western Washington.
The 72-day rule, disease resistance codes that matter in this climate, and 30 varieties sorted by use case for the Puget Sound lowlands. Determinates for reliability, indeterminates for flavor, and the OSU-bred Legend as the default starting point.
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Disease-resistant crabapples that stay clean from April bloom through October fruit drop. Organized by size, with pollination data and the native Pacific crabapple.
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Disease resistance, not chill hours, determines which apple trees produce fruit in the Puget Sound lowlands. Nine varieties that need no spray program, plus rootstock and pollination guidance.
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You already have one. That is the starting point for most conversations about Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) in Western Washington. It sits in your front yard, lines your street, anchors the...
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A native evergreen that screens, fixes nitrogen, and asks for almost nothing in return. Privacy, wind protection, and soil improvement in one fast-growing package.
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The tallest native hardwood in Western Washington, and why you need to understand it before you decide to keep or remove one.
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Washington's only native oak species carries the weight of an entire ecosystem. Learn how to recognize, protect, and restore Quercus garryana on your property and in your region.
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The native dogwood that lights up Western Washington forests in spring, and the anthracnose threat reshaping its future.
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The tree with copper-red peeling bark that clings to rocky Puget Sound bluffs. Learn why Pacific Madrone thrives in dry sites but struggles with transplanting, and how to grow it right.
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Washington's state tree and the shade-tolerant climax species that defines old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest.
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The iconic tree of Pacific Northwest forests. Learn why Western Redcedar is the hedging standard in Western Washington, what it needs to thrive, and how to prevent the problems that plague it in our region.
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The four-season native that flowers, fruits, and colors up while asking almost nothing in return.
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Catawba rhododendron in the Puget Sound region: hardiness, shade performance, what kills them, and how to prevent root rot in maritime gardens.
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The evergreen hedge everywhere in the Puget Sound region: what it tolerates, what threatens it, and the invasiveness problem nobody talks about.
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Ponderosa pine in maritime gardens: why this east-side native demands deliberate siting, disease management strategies, and what to expect in the Puget Sound region.
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Strawberry tree in the Puget Sound region: the Mediterranean evergreen that thrives in clay and drought. Why it outperforms our native Pacific madrone.
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You have seen this shrub a hundred times without registering it. It is the one in the foundation bed at the dentist's office, the one lining the entrance to the grocery store parking lot, the compact...
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Vine maple in the Pacific Northwest: native shade tolerance, fall color potential, disease management, and how to preserve the layered form that makes it distinctive.
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When you're standing in your garden in late August and the spring bloomers have faded, the early perennials are looking tired, and the hydrangeas are reaching the end of their show, Rose of Sharon...
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When you see the first crimson flower clusters hanging from bare branches in early March, you know spring is arriving in Western Washington. That's Ribes sanguineum, the red-flowering currant, and...
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The most planted ornamental grass in the Puget Sound region, and for good reason. Sterile, upright through winter rain, and tolerant of clay soils.
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The nitrogen-fixing pioneer that rebuilds disturbed landscapes across Western Washington, and what it means for your property.
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You've stood under your mature Douglas-fir and watched the lawn struggle. You've tried shade-tolerant grasses. You've mulched generously. You've accepted the bare patches. But there's a native...
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When you drive through the older neighborhoods of Western Washington, you'll spot them immediately: those massive, fountain-shaped European beeches with trunks the size of car hoods and branch...
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If you drive through any new residential development in Western Washington, you'll spot Sky Pencil Holly. It's become the go-to plant for narrow spaces, and for good reason: it grows 6 to 10 feet...
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You have driven past this plant a hundred times without registering it. It is the low, glossy-leaved mat hugging the sandy shoulders along the I-90 corridor at Snoqualmie Pass, carpeting the bluffs...
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If you're looking for a golden conifer that won't overwhelm your Western Washington garden, Cripps Golden Hinoki Cypress deserves your attention. This cultivar gives you the architectural presence of...
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You know this tree. You've walked beneath them at Kalaloch and Ruby Beach, stood in the dripping shade of the Hoh Rainforest canopy where Sitka spruces stretch skyward like the columns of a...
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If you have seen a tree with feathery, fern-like leaves topped with fluffy pink flower puffs blooming in midsummer, you have encountered a silk tree. This Asian native shows up in gardens, parking...
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The moss-covered canopy giant of Western Washington forests. Massive leaves, fast growth, and a growing decline you need to understand before planting.
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If you've driven past a clearcut or logged forest in Western Washington, you've seen bitter cherry. The distinctive reddish-brown trunks with horizontal striping appear almost overnight in disturbed...
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When November arrives and the deciduous trees shed their leaves, your landscape enters a four-month period of dormancy. Everything turns gray. The evergreens dominate. The structure of deciduous...
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If you've grown eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) in Western Washington, you've already proven you can succeed with the genus. The Judas tree is its Mediterranean cousin, and it offers something...
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You're not going to find Pagoda Dogwood crowded into the ornamental section of your local nursery. It's not the tree garden centers push in spring marketing blitzes. But if you're looking for...
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If you've spent time in the eastern United States during spring, you've seen flowering dogwood. Its white or pink "flowers" (actually colorful bracts surrounding small true flowers) have made it one...
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You already own one. Or you are about to. Japanese maple is the most planted ornamental tree in residential landscapes across the Puget Sound lowlands, and for a reason that has nothing to do with...
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Regional guide to Japanese maple in Western Washington: cultivar selection, disease management, siting decisions, and seasonal care grounded in WSU and PNW handbook data.
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The iconic conifer that defines the Pacific Northwest landscape, challenging to grow well but irreplaceable as a timber tree and ecological cornerstone.
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