Western White PINE

Pinus monticola Dougl. ex D. Don Idaho or California White Pine
Mountain White Pine
Soft or Silver Pine
Fingercone Pine

Native here; from British Columbia to W Montana and S California.

Needles 5 per bundle, 2¹/₂-5¹/ ₂" long; cones 5-15 (18)" long; tree to 290' x 34¹/₂'.

Our native white pine has a dark silver, straight and slender trunk that holds close whorls of dark, dense bluish-green branches. The State Tree of Idaho, this beautiful tree is a peer of the famous Eastern White and Sugar Pines. The graceful habit of these three is very appealingand when combined with the noble size of aged specimens, sublime.
    In Seattle, plentiful; most wild ones are north of the canal. In many parks and neighborhoods it's seen with its Eastern cousin. The two achieve similar maximum sizes both in nature and as grown here. People often need a few years of observation before they can tell these two apart at a glance. The native is darker, denser and usually narrower.

- U.W.: Denny Hall lawn has one 99' x 10'6" (11'5" in 2000)
- Acacia Cemetery: the largest is 88' x 10'2"
- Washelli Cemetery: one 9'9" around N of the military area
- Evergreen Park Cemetery: one 9'10" around SE of the 117th St gate
- W Seattle Golf Course: the largest is 8' around
- 46th Ave SW, north of SW Juneau St: a yard, E side

Chinese PISTACHIO

Pistacia chinensis Bge.
ANACARDACEÆ

Gitterwort, Chinese Pistache
Chinese: Huang Lien Shu, Kai Shu

From China, Taiwan, the Philippines.

The pistachio nuts of commerce are borne by a related tree unknown in Seattle -- it will probably grow here if somebody will just try it! The Chinese Pistachio tree is an important timber producer, growing as large as 100' x 16'. The male trees grow larger than the females. The rather inconspicuous flowers begin in April before the leaves emerge, continue into May, giving rise to thin-fleshed, hard, inedible berries about ¹/₄" wide, first green, then yellow, next red and finally metallic blue when fully ripe. The leaves are compound, borne alternately on the twigs, each compound leaf usually having 8, 10 or 12 leaflets, strongly odorous when crushed, smelling resinous like Smoke Tree and Sweetgum leaves. The young shoots are cooked as a potherb in China (called Huang Lien Ya), despite their powerful odor.
    In Seattle, extremely rare, small, slow-growing and variably spectacular in its fall color: in effect, it is a daintier version of Sumach. Judging by the performance of those in Seattle we may surmise that our stock is sub par, or that the species simply doesn't do as well here as in a continental climate -- though it doesn't have to be large to be attractive, which ours are. For more information about Chinese Pistachio, see Arnoldia, Sept./Oct. 1978, pp. 165-169.

- University Bridge: the NW end (Sadako Sasaki Peace Park as of 1990) has about 5 of mixed sizes and sexes, the largest (over 20' x 2'3") gracefully overhanging the stairs like a living umbrella
- Arboretum: a female in L6 is 1'7" around
- Locks #205 has a small male
- 2052 23rd Ave E has a female

London PLANE

Platanus x hybrida Brot.
=P. x intermedia Hort.
=P. x hispanica Muenchh.?
=P. x acerifolia (Ait.) Willd.
=P. orientalis Hort., in part, non L.
=P. orientalis var. acerifolia auct.
=(P. orientalis x P. occidentalis)
PLATANACEÆ

Hybrid Plane (Tree)
Sycamore

"London" Plane achieved its particular English name as well as much fame, by easily tolerating adverse urban conditions. Even in the stifling black soot of industrial London, it grew fast, broad and lofty, was little hurt by pollarding, and cast plentiful shadeall in conditions so foul that many trees couldn't survive at all! Thus London Plane became the best known and most widely grown of the Oriental Plane/American Sycamore hybrids, which first appeared in Europe during the late 1600s.
    Writers should make clear whether their "London Plane" refers only to the real thing as cloned in London, or to any such Sycamore/ Plane hybrid, including inferior strains. Like most, this guide takes the latter position for simplicity's sake, although the truth suffers if we remember that Seattle's commonest strain is not the original London Plane. Moreover, many Seattleites call all of these trees "Sycamore."
    Whatever their name, these mighty trees are common here. Our most abundant kind (technically called cv. 'Pyramidalis') has a short, massive trunk that soon divides into widely spreading, stout forks. The lower bole of older trees is swollen, burly and knurly, and the bark is easily flaked away. Distinctive seed-balls dangle (1) 2 (3) per string from twigs. As few other trees here so readily burst sidewalks and invade sewers, it ought to be planted only where ample space is available for it to grow into a giant. Both parental species are famous on their respective continents for gigantic size, so the ultimate potential of their hybrid children is wonderous to contemplate -- the largest dimensions so far exceed 160' x 29'!

- 12th Ave NE, north of NE 41st St: a street-tree, W side, 79' x 15'11" (17'7" in 2000)
- Ballard Playground: southernmost of two on the east is 88' x 14'4" x 73' wide (16'1" in 2000; and the shorter northernmost specimen is 16'4" around)
- Everett Ave E & E Newton St: NW corner yard: 16'2" around in 2000
- 2141 Broadmoor Drive E (in back yard): 16'0" around in 1999
- triangle at Belmont Ave E & Bellevue Pl E has one 14'5" around (15'9" in 2000)
- Day Playground: the largest of four on the west side is 14'1" around (15'9" in 2000)
- Zoo: the largest of several six S of the south parking lot is 13'6" around (14'11" in 2000)
- Salmon Bay Park: the largest, on the south side, is 13' around (14'2" in 2000)
- Georgetown Playground: 33
- W Seattle High School: 30
- Madrona Playground (34th Ave & E Spring St): 17
- Green Lake: 29 in rows leading to the Evans Pool building
- Pioneer Square and Occidental Park: many youngsters
- Monorail route and at the Seattle Center: many youngsters
- U.W.: lining Memorial Way

Oriental PLANE

Platanus orientalis L.

Oriental Planetree
Persian: Chinar or Dulb

From the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor; widely planted further east and west.

Probably the most beloved and certainly the most enormous shade tree of southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. Greek philosophers, Roman statesmen, Persian princes, Alexander the Great and untold thousands of ordinary people all enjoyed its refreshing shade, heartening amplitude and long-lived, tough and rugged beauty. In the Language of Flowers it means "genius." One measured 164' tall with a trunk circumference of about 103'! Many specimens famed for size, beauty or association have earned a place in history.
    In Seattle, an uncommon tree almost solely represented by older specimens on public property. Such trees may, however, be backcross London Plane hybrids that have inherited nearly all of their superficial characteristics from the oriental rather than the occidental species. It is also possible that Seattle's are genuine Orientals. It is neither easy to determine nor particularly pressing to do so. The trees thrive and are attractive heretheir technical identity is curious but of secondary importance compared to this happy fact. To distinguish them from our London Planes: the Oriental's seed-balls frequently number 3 per string and are smaller; their trunks are usually more swollen; most strikingly, their leaves are deeply lobed like those our our native Bigleaf Maple. Oriental and London Planes are often seen side by side, so comparisons are easy.

- Lake Washington Blvd E, by E Republican St: one by a driveway is 92' x 11' x 79' wide
- Salmon Bay Park: the SE corner has one 78' x 11'1"
- Volunteer Park: one 9'6" around is by 12th Ave E & E Prospect St
- Arboretum: the boulevard north of Madison St has 8 London Planes and 3 Orientals, the largest of the latter (3rd plane from the S) 7'9" around; further north on the Blvd is one south of the viaduct footbridge, 7'7" around; N7, P6 & P7 have specimens grown from seeds collected from wild trees in Turkey
- Lake Washington Blvd E & E Harrison St: the triangle has one 7'3" around
- Airport Way S & S Massachusetts St: SW corner has 3 planes, the middle Oriental
- U.W.: east of the Burke-Gilman Trail, north of Pend Oreille Rd
- Ballard Playground: one in the N part is 6'8" around (cut down)

American Sycamore (PLANE)

Platanus occidentalis L.

American Plane (Tree)
Buttonball Tree
Buttonwood

From the central and eastern U.S., far S Ontario, and parts of Mexico.

The most massive tree east of the Rocky Mountains. The following measurements speak for themselves:

129' x 48'6" Ohio (1982)
176' x 33'4" Lower Wabash Valley (pre-1921)
161' x 24'4" Michigan (1979)
150' x 17'2" Delaware (1978)
166' x 14'4" South Carolina (1978)

Named "Sycamore" by European immigrants reminded by its broad maple-like leaves of their Sycamore (see Sycamore maple), this tree came to symbolize "woodland beauty" or "independence" in the Language of Flowers. In general it's a forest denizen, and does not thrive in cities as do its hybrid offspring.
    It is uncommon in Seattle compared to London Plane but is occasionally found growing with it in parks or (more commonly) as a street-tree.
    It leafs out more slowly and much later than London Plane; its bark is dark gray and finely checkered rather than flaky or forming large crusty plates. The trunk is neither swollen nor burled, nor does it fork into the crown as low as does London Plane. It is less vigorous and greatly suffers from anthracnose fungal disease. In winter, those specimens that are healthy enough produce large seed-balls, borne singly rather than in twos or threes.
    Some cited below may be hybrids that merely look like their American parent. Most in Seattle are too ugly and unhealthy to be cited. The few listed below are worth visiting and the first two are of the foremost grandeur.

- Woodlawn Ave N, north of N 34th St: a street-tree 81' x 10'5" x 67' wide (11'1" in 2000)
- 18th Ave E, north of E Prospect St: a street-tree, 85' x 8'8" around
- 26th Ave E, south of E Lynn St: a street-tree, W side, 7'10" around (cut down)
- 30th Ave, north of E Yesler Way: a street-tree, E side
- Zoo: some with London Planes in the SW area, both inside & outside the fence
- 35th Ave NE & NE 50th St: 4 street-trees on the NE corner
- Denny Park: SW part (with London Planes)

Cherry PLUM TREE

Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.
=P. Myrobalana (L.) Loisel.
=P. domestica var. myrobalan L.
ROSACEÆ

Myrobalan (Plum Tree) or Flowering Plum

This is an ancient Eurasian hybrid race, not known wild except as escaped from cultivation. It stands for "privation" in the Language of Flowers. Occurring in several forms, it's usually grown for floral or foliage display or as a rootstock rather than for its fruit. The leaves are green, bronze, red or purple; the flowers are white or pink, in late February-March; the plums are yellow, red or purple, up to 1 ¹/₄" long, ripe late July to mid-September. Unlike most fruit, they're quite good even when nowhere near fully ripe. The tree can grow as large as 50' x 9 1⁄2'.
    In Seattle, we have mostly purpleleaf kinds grown for ornament, called Flowering Plum trees, or in utter ignorance of their origin, Japanese Flowering Plum trees. Immediately below are cited greenleaf examples, then the various purpleleaf cultivars, including hybrids.

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