The University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG) in Seattle, shows that Metasequoias are capable of growing tall even in the wet, mild Pacific Northwest. The UWBG encompasses an arboretum, a horticultural center, a natural area, a library, and a herbarium. The Washington Park Arboretum is a 230 acre site on the shores of Lake Washington. The arboretum has an extensive oak, conifer, camellias, Japanese maple, and a holly collection. The garden features a unique ecogeographic collection of taxa, including species native to Mediterranean, Sino-Himalayan, Chilean, and New Zealand climates.

Seattle's climate is noted for mild, wet winters and dry summers. Like the Peavy Arboretum and Berry Botanical Garden, the UWBG is within the Pacific lowland mixed forest, and the Hardiness Zone is Zone 8, which is a tropical zone. Winds are average, and precipitation is average. The dominant soil orders are Entisols and Inceptisols.



The UWBG has a very mixed group of Metasequoias. There are a total of eight planted before 1975 at the gardens, and two of these were received in 1948 from the Arnold Arboretum. Another four were received in 1948 from the Carl S. English Gardens in Seattle, a prominent local garden. Of these six, two have grown well, reaching heights of about 80 feet with bases 36 inches in diameter. Yet the other four have grown poorly, not even reaching 30 feet and with bases around 20 inches in diameter. A final pair was received from the University of California Botanic Gardens at Berkeley in 1956 and both have grown well, reaching heights of about 80 feet with bases 36 inches in diameter. It is hard to analyze these numbers, especially considering they were given to me as approximations. Perhaps some have grown well and others not due to varying garden conditions and landscaping treatment. Additionally, it is likely that Metasequoias have grown better in Oregon because of the soil there. They prefer Alfisols and Mollisols over Inceptisols, as mentioned in my Research Summary.

In any event, it is important that Metasequoias are capable of growing in the Seattle area. While they clearly grow better in Oregon around the Willamette valley, they grow fairly well in the Seattle area, too.

The University of Washington Botanic Gardens

3501 NE 41st Street

Seattle, WA 98105

http://depts.washington.edu/urbhort/

Data courtesy the University of Washington Botanic Gardens

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