The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden at the end of September

On my way back to Portland from Seattle in September I paid a visit to the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way. Since I've written about this garden numerous times I tried to photograph things I haven't shared before, or if I had to capture them in a new way. Then of course there are a few old favorites that I can't help but track...

We start at the planting area in front of the Rutherford Conservatory.

Growing over the rock wall is Microcachrys tetragona, aka the creeping strawberry pine, which doesn't produce strawberries and isn't a pine.

It's in the Podocarpaceae family and those are cones, not fruit. Such an unusual plant.

Adiantum aleuticum var. subpumilim

Something about the leaves of this plant reminds me of a Banksia, do you see it?

I had to ask Emily Joseph (assistant nursery and retail sales manager at the garden) what it is... Lysionotus pauciflorus, it's a Gesneriad (African Violet family)! The Cistus Nursery description: "Another intriguing gesneriad, this with deeply lobed shiny leaves, to about 18” frequently adorned with lavender-purple "snapdragons”. A very good plant indoors anywhere, or outdoors where temperatures do not fall below the upper 20sF. We find it is vigorous enough to make a very good pot stuffer for shady situations. Keep from the hottest of sun and place on a saucer of damp gravel if used as an indoor plant. Frost hardy to 25 F, USDA zone 9b." 

I guess I won't be planting it out in my garden. Oh well...

I love the low-growing assortment of textures in this area (still in front of the conservatory).

And who wouldn't want a rock wall you can plant in?

I also love these trough planters and they were looking especially fetching during my visit. Asplenium ceterach...

Cheilanthes argentea (on the left)

Cassiope, maybe C. ‘Askival’

Such cute little dried blooms.

I think that's another Cassiope on the left, and Adiantum aleuticum var. subpumilim on the right.

We're inside the conservatory now, the strappy plant in the middle of this photo is a Curculigo sp.

I believe that grass-like plant growing on the tower is Pyrrosia angustissima...

It was offered through the RSBG Fall Catalogue, but I'm not a member and by the time it was open to the public it was sold out. 

I wasn't too sad about it, since I wasn't 100% sure I liked it. Then I saw it at a friend's garden (she'd received her catalogue order) and instant plant lust and jealousy washed over me. Photo of her plant...

Moving on, big sigh, moss makes everything better.

I do not know what this sweet fern is, but since we're still in the conservatory I wonder if it's not hardy?

Pyrrosia species SEH#15113 (in the catalogue and still available).

I love this Pyrrosia so much!

Another Pyrrosia, maybe P. sp. SEH#12547.

Out of the conservatory now, Kirengeshoma palmata, I think?

Pyrrosia sheareri, of course.

Wowsa! I still sometimes struggle with pink and orange together but this Magnolia sieboldii cone is working it.

Okay yes, I've shared these before, Pyrrosia logs.

I reminder to myself that I need to do more of this!

In the stumpery...

Goodyera oblongifolia, aka rattlesnake orchid.

Rhododendron cardiobasis

Another of the Pyrrosia log/stump plantings that I must visit.

We're back in the RSBG nursery now where I was admiring the increased offerings (including some Little Prince plants). Love the backlit Eucomis with Cheilanthes sieberi.

And it was great to see Pellaea atropurpurea there too! I shared my haul back in an earlier post, but if you're curious I came home with a Rhododendron yuanbaoshanense, a Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum and a Aeschynanthus sp.

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A May visit to Gossler Farms

I was in Eugene, Oregon, mid-month and of course that meant a stop at Gossler Farms. I (again) told myself I wouldn't be taking any photos, and left my camera in the car. However, when Roger called me over to see the Embothrium coccineum (Chilean firetree) in bloom, well, my phone came out of my pocket and the camera was called into action...

After that it was a slippery slope and I snapped pics as I walked around the greenhouses and the garden. Rhododendron 'Golfer'...

One of the greenhouses...

Astilbe thunbergii 'Chocolate Shogun' 

Callistemon all budded up to bloom soon, maybe 'Woodlander's Hardy"?

A shot of the container plants sunning themselves behind one of the greenhouses.

Back inside and admiring the new foliage on Rhododendron 'Ever Red'.

Rhododendron 'Yak-Pac'

Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'

Rhododendron 'Frosted Jade'

Magnolia × wieseneri 

Back out and more potted plants to admire.

Quercus dentata 'Pinnatifida’ (Cutleaf Emperor Oak)

In the garden now, no idea which peony this is...

Or which rhododendron, although I'm gonna make a guess that it's R. 'Wine & Roses'

The spiky "pet plant" collection gathered along the driveway near the office.

When I admired the Magnolia × wieseneri in the greenhouse Roger told me to be sure to smell the one blooming in the garden.

It was amazing!

No ID on this fern but it's a looker! I think it might be a Dryopteris wallichiana (?) 

Another dramatic rhododendron (give me the foliage, don't care about the flowers).

Snow!

I remember walking the display garden one visit when there was a small pond here and the pot with the bamboo was blown over thanks to high winds. It was nice to have decent weather for this visit.

Oh how I wish I could grow big clematis blooms (see, there are some flowers I like).

Rogersia

The display garden at Gossler was the first place I ever saw pollarded trees, many visits ago.

More rogersia!

And another NoID rhododendron with beautiful new growth.

I was in Eugene to give a talk on Dry Gardening for the Willamette Hardy Plant Group. I appreciated the contradiction as I wandered this lush garden with a creek on one side and a river on the other. The water table must be very high here.

Of course I visited the Daphniphyllum macropodum, both the solid green...

And the variegated...

I admired another peony.

And dreamed about having a giant tree fern like this.

Lucky people with plants on the way!

Here are my purchases, tucked in safely since Andrew was gonna be driving the car the next day and isn't one to drive with care for plant passengers.

And at home, Dryopteris wallichiana...

And Rhododendron orbiculare 'Edinburgh'

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.