The Japanese Garden

Prunus serrulata in Madison Park April 2010

Thujopsis dolabrata at Kubota Garden April 2010

Aucuba japonica at Kubota Garden April 2010 

Ilex crenata at Kubota Garden April 2010

 Illicium anisatum at Washington Park Arboretum April 2010

This is about a different sort of Japanese garden for Seattle & the Pacific Northwest: a garden simply composed of Japanese plants.  Japanese plants are common in Northwestern gardens.  That should be obvious from the many times we use the specific epithets: japonica, japonicus & japonicum.  Perhaps you would like to plan a garden in the Japanese style using Japanese plants.  Traditional Japanese gardens use very few species, usually not more than a dozen, all of Japanese origin.  This can seen meager to Pacific Northwestern eyes.  Here are more options.  Perhaps you might like to make a Japanese garden that mimics nature.  This is very easily done with the wide variety of Japanese plants available here.  As you might expect, many of these plants are also native to China & Korea.  Some are native across the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe & North America.  Most of these plants should be fairly easy to find in Seattle area nurseries.

Trees
Acer crataegifolium (Hawthorn Maple) Acer japonicum (Full moon Maple) Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple)
Aesculus pavia, Aesculus turbinata (Buckeye)
Catalpa ovata
Cephalotaxus harringtonia (Plum Yew)
Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki Cypress) Chamaecyparis pisifera (Sawara Cypress)
Chionanthus retusus (Fringe Tree)
Cornus controversa (Dogwood)
Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese Cedar)
Idesia polycarpa
Pinus densiflora (Japanese Red Pine) Pinus thunbergii (Japanese Black Pine)
Podocarpus macrophyllus (Yew Pine)
Prunus mume (Japanese Apricot) Prunus serrulata (Japanese Cherry) Prunus sargentii, Prunus subhirtella
Sciadopitys verticillata (Umbrella Pine)
Sorbus commixta (Japanese Rowan)
Stewartia pseudocamellia
Styrax japonicus, Styrax obassia (Snowbell)
Taxus cuspidata (Japanese Yew)
Thuja standishii
Thujopsis dolabrata (Staghorn Cedar)

Shrubs
Abelia chinensis
Aucuba japonica
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese Barberry)
Buxus microphylla var. japonica (Japanese Boxwood)
Callicarpa japonica (Japanese Beautyberry)
Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua
Chaenomeles japonica (Japanese Quince)
Clethra barbinervis (Japanese Sweet Shrub)
Daphniphyllum macropodum
Disanthus cercidifolius
Diospyros kaki (Japanese Persimmon)
Edgeworthia chrysantha (Paper Bush)
Elaeagnus pungens    
Enkianthus campanulatus
Euonymus alatus (Burning Bush) Euonymus fortunei, Euonymus japonicus
Fatsia japonica
Gaultheria miqueliana (Spicy Wintergreen)
Helwingia japonica
Hydrangea macrophylla, Hydrangea paniculata, Hydrangea serrata
Illicium anisatum
Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese Privet)
Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly)
Juniperus communis, Juniperus rigida, Juniperus sabina (Juniper)
Pieris japonica (Lily of the Valley Shrub)
Rhododendron amagianum, Rhododendron aureum, Rhododendron brachycarpum, Rhododendron dilatatum, Rhododendron indicum, Rhododendron japonicum, Rhododendron yakushimanum
Rosa rugosa
Skimmia japonica
Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry) also native to Europe & North America
Viburnum japonicum, Viburnum plicatum, Viburnum sieboldii

Perennials
Achillea ptarmica (Yarrow)
Adiantum pedatum (Maidenhair Fern) also native to North America
Anagallis arvensis
Aster ageratoides
Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese Painted Fern)
Campanula glomerata var. dahurica, Campanula punctata (Bellflower)
Caryopteris divaricata, Caryopteris incana (Bluebeard)
Chelonopsis moschata (Japanese Turtlehead)
Dryopteris erythrosora (Autumn Fern)
Glaucidium palmatum (Japanese Wood Poppy)
Hakonechloa macra (Japanese Forest Grass)
Imperata cylindrica (Japanese Blood Grass)
Kirengeshoma palmata
Ligularia dentata, Ligularia japonica, Ligularia stenocephala
Petasites japonicum
Physalis alkekengi (Japanese Lantern)
Polystichum polyblepharum (Tassel Fern)
Primula japonica, Primula kisoana, Primula sieboldii (Primrose)
Rodgersia podophylla

Groundcovers, Vines & Trailers
Antennaria dioica (Pussy-toes) also native to Europe & northern Asia.
Codonopsis lanceolata (Bonnet Bellflower)
Juniperus conferta (Shore Juniper)
Ophiopogon planiscapus (Mondo Grass)
Pachysandra terminalis
Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Boston Ivy)
Trachelospermum asiaticum, Trachelospermum jasminoides (Star Jasmine)
Wisteria floribunda