Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum
The Champion of Trees
The visitor center
Map
TypeArboretum
Location4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, Illinois
Coordinates41°48′58″N 88°04′13″W / 41.81611°N 88.07028°W / 41.81611; -88.07028
Area1,700 acres (690 ha)
EstablishedDec 14, 1922; 101 years ago (Dec 14, 1922)
FounderJoy Morton, founder Morton Salt
Open365 days a year
Hiking trails16 miles
Plants222,000
Species4,100 types of trees
Budget$31.3M
Websitemortonarb.org

The Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, Illinois, United States, is a public garden[1] and outdoor museum with a library, herbarium, and program in tree research including the Center for Tree Science.[2] Its grounds, covering 1,700 acres (6.9 square kilometres), include cataloged collections of trees and other living plants, gardens, and restored areas,[3][4][5] among which is a restored tallgrass prairie. The living collections include more than 4,100 different plant species. There are more than 200,000 cataloged plants.[6]

As a place of recreation,[6] the Arboretum has hiking trails, roadways for driving and bicycling, a 4-acre (16,000 m2) interactive children's garden[7] and a 1-acre (4,000 m2) maze.

The Schulenberg Prairie[8] at the Arboretum was one of the earliest prairie restoration projects in the Midwest, begun in 1962.[9] It is one of the largest restored prairies in the Chicago suburban area.

Three dozen cuttings from the old burr oak that had been in Lincoln Park Zoo will be grafted onto rootstocks at the Arboretum.[10]

The Arboretum offers an extensive nature-centered education program for children, families, school groups, scouts, and adults, including tree and restoration professionals. The Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program offers classroom and online courses in ecological restoration techniques. The Arboretum also offers credit courses through the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area, a regional consortium.

  1. ^ "The Morton Arboretum". Bgci.org. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  2. ^ "The Center for Tree Science: Securing the future of trees | The Morton Arboretum". Mortonarb.org. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  3. ^ "The Morton Arboretum recognized for excellence in ecological restoration". Archived from the original on 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  4. ^ Mullen, William. "Arboretum turning back woodland's natural clock."
  5. ^ Chicago Tribune, Jan. 12, 2009. p. 14.
  6. ^ a b Johnson, Steve (29 October 2014). "Morton Arboretum: Seeing the forest and the trees". Chicagotribune.com.
  7. ^ Botts, Beth. "A breath of fresh air: new Morton Arboretum garden aims to reconnect kids and nature." Chicago Tribune, September 10, 2005, p. 23.
  8. ^ "The Schulenberg Prairie: a Benchmark in Ecological Restoration" (PDF). Plantconservation.us. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  9. ^ Swanson, Stevenson. "To grow a prairie, you have to return to the grass roots." Chicago Tribune, September 27, 1987, p. 1.
  10. ^ Odigwe, Hugo (May 2, 2023). "Historic bur oak tree removal at Lincoln Park Zoo Tuesday". CBS News. Retrieved May 2, 2023.