Tolmiea menziesii (now Micranthes tolmiei) An evergreen herbaceous native also brought into cultivation by Archibald Menzies. William Fraser Tolmie was from Scotland and worked for Hudson’s Bay Co as a surgeon and botanist who also traded in furs and politics. Tolmie was the commander at Fort Nisqually from 1843- 1859 before moving up to [...]
Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir. Archibald Menzies was a Scottish botanist and surgeon who accompanied Capt. Vancouver in 1790 to the Pacific Northwest. Douglas fir became an ever more important lumber tree in the succeeding years of settlement by non-indigenous people.
Mahonia nervosa Low/Cascade Oregon Grape. Typically below 2’ in height, this handsome shrub offers bright yellow flowers in Spring followed by blue-black fruits in late summer. The fruits are edible but tart, better used to make preserves or wine. Bernard M’Mahon served as the steward of the plants collected by Lewis and Clark on [...]
Wisteria An unknown species of the vigorous vine with fragrant, drooping racemes of flowers ranging in color from white to pink to blue and purple. Adam Wistar (1761- 1818) was a physician at the School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas Nuttall named the plant in his honor but misspelled his name; [...]
Lonicera crassifolia A low growing evergreen honeysuckle that will cloak itself with yellow blossoms if given adequate sun and a slightly moist soil. Adam Lonicer, a German physician and botanist (1528- 1586) is honored by having this genus named for him.
Claytonia perfoliata An evergreen herbaceous native often associated with damp places such as stream sides. One of its common names is Miner’s Lettuce as it was one of the few greens that miners could find to supplement their often monotonous diet. John Clayton (1694-1773) was a plant collector/botanist in Virginia who supplied specimens to [...]
Beesia deltophylla An evergreen perennial from Sichuan, China brought into cultivation by Dan Hinkley in 1998. Small white flowers decorate upright racemes in late spring, but most people grow it for its shade tolerance and handsome glossy foliage. The genus was named in 1915 for the plant nursery in England which financed plant expeditions [...]
Philadelphus lewisii Lewis’s Mock Orange. A nice native of this old-time favorite group, it too has fragrant white flowers in early Summer. A native Mock Orange named in honor of Captain Meriwether Lewis as one of the explorers of Lewis and Clark fame. He collected it in 1806 on the return journey of the Corps [...]
Lonicera henryi An evergreen honeysuckle from China where it was brought into cultivation by Augustine Henry. Grown not for the small flowers or fruits but for the handsome foliage. Henry served as a British customs officer and Assistant Medical Officer in central China with time to spare, which he used to botanize. He often [...]