February is when it starts to feel like spring in the Arboretum. There is the occasional sunny day and many trees and shrubs are beginning to bud. The blooms, colors, scents, and textures of the Winter Garden are still exquisite and Magnolia Trail feels alive this time of year.
Winter Weather
Winter weather like snow and ice can occur in February at the Arboretum. Plan ahead and check our Recent Updates page for information about Visitor Center and park road closures resulting from unsafe conditions. Otherwise, make sure you dress for the weather before your visit! Wear layers and shoes that can get muddy!
Take a Class at the Arboretum!
Winter Maple Sugaring Class and Demonstration February 11, 2024 at 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Multi-media Collage: Create with your Senses February 25, 2024 at 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Working with Mason Bees (indoors) March 3, 2024 at 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Nature Journaling Series: Spring Inspiration (indoors) March 4, 2024 at 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Oregon Peace Tree Project Presentation March 15, 2024 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Multi-media Collage: Celebrate the Return of Light March 17, 2024 at 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Healing Herbs of the Arboretum March 19, 2024 at 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
PNW Conifer Tree ID Walk March 30, 2024 at 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Tree Time! Preschool Walks
Join us for story time and a short walk through the Arboretum. Ages 2-5 accompanied by an adult.
Mondays and Saturdays
10:00 – 11:15 AM
Registration for specific dates is required at the link above.
Trees to See and Plants to Peruse!
Camellia
It’s all about the infinite variety of flower forms on these fabulous winter bloomers native to east and south Asia! Several hundred species make up this genus, as do thousands of cultivars. The “double” forms alone include peony-, anemone-, and rose-like structures. Bloom colors range from white to pink to red to yellow. All camellias house a cluster of yellow stamens that stand out against the petals. The name refers to the 17th-century missionary-botanist Georg Joseph Kamel, who introduced Philippine flora and fauna to the Western world.
Location: Wildwood Trail near Vietnam Veterans Memorial, also found in Winter Garden
The coast silktassel or wavyleaf silktassel derives its name from the stand-out “silk tassels” that appear on both male and female plants but are longer and more dramatic on the male shrub. These dangling, elegant gray-green blooms appear in winter. The plant is native to southern Oregon and California coastal areas. The scientific name refers to Nicholas Garry, secretary of the Hudson’s Bay Company in the early 19th century, and to the shape of the leaves.
Location: Visitor Center Parking Lot, west planting area
Sequoia sempervirens and Sequoiadendron giganteum
These two different redwoods, native to California, share several “wow” features: long life, huge stature, and a thick, spongy, orange-cinnamon bark whose color comes from a tannin that deters insects. Feel the soft bark—that’s from the water it absorbs. Sequoia sempervirens, or coast redwood, is the world’s tallest tree, able to reach 379 feet. Its cousin, Sequoiadendron giganteum, doesn’t get quite as tall but is larger in girth—the first such trees discovered were as wide as a house. Look at both trees’ foliage—they are quite different!
Location: Redwood Trail