the Arboretum herb garden circa March 12, 2011

While the DC area's gesneriad society met indoors, spring was well underway in the herb garden of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Prunus mume 'Peggy Clarke' (Japanese apricot)

Cornus mas (Cornelian cherry)

Abeliophyllum distichum (Korean abelia-leaf)

Tradescantia xandersoniana (spiderwort) shoots - I have a soft spot for these shoots every year.

I was saddened to see that the big Chionanthus retusus var. serrulatus (Fringe tree) has been cut down. Last month, there were a pile of leaves under it - as documented:

This was the tree in May 2009:

and now there's just a stump.