Plagianthus regius, at Kennedy School

The size of that trunk, and the fact there are plants around the base that have obviously been there for awhile, tells me this tree was not recently planted. Yet I have no memory of seeing it before now.

This wispy branches and tiny leaves are what caught my attention. It reminded me of something I'd seen in Seattle, at the Pacific Connections Garden; Hoheria angustifolia, from New Zealand. I emailed the ever helpful Ryan Miller (multi-location gardener for McMenamins) and asked for ID.

Plagianthus regius was the answer. From the wiki: "Plagianthus regius or lowland ribbonwood is a tree that is endemic to New Zealand. The common name is simply ribbonwood. The Māori name is manatu but is also known as houi, manaui manatu, puruhi and whauwhi. The juvenile form has bushy interlacing branches with small leaves, while an older tree will tend to have larger leaves, sometimes with the lower parts of tree still displaying divaricating leaves."

Ah the endless wonders of plants. Even when I think I've seen them all—all of them at Kennedy School that is—I'm proven wrong.

Weather Diary, Mar 9: Hi 57, Low 31/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.