Beautiful final photo. I like the silhouettes against the dull sky.
Richard

There are some really beautiful photos here and I agree that last photo is something.
Cher

The only problem I have with the last photo is, what's that randomly placed rock doing out there? It's not even right side up. I would expect better placement and arrangement. Rock placement should have more thought behind it and one rock by itself, rather than in a group, doesn't cut it for a nationally known Arboretum, in my opinion. It looks as if it's an after thought. Rock arrangements should be installed before you plant.
Nate, I always like your tours. Keep em' coming.
Mike....maybe it's a glacial erratic?

who was morton ..

thx for the pix

ken

ps: i didnt know a rock had a right side up ... maybe i like my rocks upside down.. whats that all about ... lol ..

Normally Crimean pine produces more of a tall straight shaft, without forking low into large branches in the manner of Austrian pine. The conditions on the Morton site may not be suitable for normal growth of Crimean pine.

Thanks Richard, Cher, Mike, Ken, and Bboy.

I'll put up a few more after a while.

The arboretum was founded by Joy Morton. He also had a salt company.

Here is a link that might be useful: j morton

Enjoy!

Juniperus cones
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Juniperus
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Pinus densiflora 'Golden Ghost'
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Pinus densiflora 'Golden Ghost'
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Twiggy Norway Spruce, Picea abies 'Virgata'
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Picea abies 'Virgata', trunk detail
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Picea abies 'Virgata', canopy
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I like those Picea abies, sluice. Wonderful, keep em coming.

Dax

Rocks do have a right side up and notice the nice green pathways between islands.

Picea abies 'Virgata'.. Nice specimen that needs a lot of room.

Dave

i was wondering about salt.. but was too lazy to google it myself...

from your link:

In 1922, Morton established The Morton Arboretum on 178 acres (0.72 km2) of land adjacent to his estate in Lisle, Illinois.

===>>>> what were you doing in IL??? if i may be so bold as to ask ... not your usual day trip to the mountains.. lol .. decided to do some flat landing

ken

Those ARE nice pathways! If I didn't have so many moles, I'd have nice wide pathways also.
Yes, rocks have a right side up. You don't want them to look like they were dropped randomly from the sky. Grouped rocks are preferred over single rocks. Perhaps I should start a new thread on the Landscape Design Forum.
Mike

Nope, it's not a 'Virgata', it's a 'Cranstonii'...

Thanks for the tour, Nate. My job used to take me to Lisle once or twice a year and I would always make a point of going to the Morton Arb. Great place.

tj

Thanks for sharing Nate. I must have missed all the conifers when I was there (didn't care for them much a couple years ago). I was mesmerized by the beeches they had!

Thanks Dax, Dave, TJ, and Will.

Ken, I get out to Chicago every once in a while - this was my first time at the Morton Arboretum.

Edwin, I was wondering about that, because there seems to be some naming problems.

From what I've been able to read, Cranstonii was selected by Mr. Cranston in his Hereford nursery around 1840, and Virgata was first described in 1853. I would be interested to know more about these trees!

It looks like the Morton Arboretum received this tree as Picea excelsa 'Virgata' from the Baumschulen Hesse (founded in 1879 by nurseryman Hermann A. Hesse), Weener/Ems, Federal Republic of Germany.

Here are a couple more pics of Virgata/Cranstonii.

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The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland also mentions them.
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Mr. Morton
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"The only problem I have with the last photo is, what's that randomly placed rock doing out there? It's not even right side up. I would expect better placement and arrangement. Rock placement should have more thought behind it and one rock by itself, rather than in a group, doesn't cut it for a nationally known Arboretum, in my opinion. It looks as if it's an after thought. Rock arrangements should be installed before you plant."

You can't see the baboon face on the rock?

jonnyb023 you are absolutely right, there is a baboon face. Knew it looked different but what the heck. Wonder if there is some meaning for that? :)
Cher

"jonnyb023 you are absolutely right, there is a baboon face. Knew it looked different but what the heck. Wonder if there is some meaning for that? :)
Cher"

Overactive imagination; I'm sure.

Jon

Nate, gorgeous photographs! You really were able to capture some very beautiful pictures. The history you've added is very nice to read through.

Lastly, my favorite is the landscape photo also. Thank you for sharing the photos.

Looks great... you have to love that Picea glauca 'Pendula'! I don't think much is wrong with that rock... it isn't a rock garden which is why you don't see a lot of rocks beside each other. Myself I don't have the resources or the money to build a rock garden... but I am able to purchase just enough rocks to put a few in each bed in between some of the larger conifers. Now they should have found the right side up. If it didn't have a right side up, they should have dug it into the ground a little to give it a flat bottom. I have a few that was pointed at all angles and didn't really look good so half the rock needed to be in the ground.

Thanks Jon, Ladylotus, and Ricksample!

I'll have to see if I can find some more rock pictures. ;)

Ricksample, here's the sign they had by the tall Picea glauca 'Pendula'.
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Nate, do you also have a pic of the tall Picea glauca 'Pendula'?
Thanks!

Nope, it's not a 'Virgata', it's a 'Cranstonii'...

Agreed, does not look like the Virgatas I have seen, although I consider myself less an expert than some of you.
Larry Stanley had a plant in his display garden that was really crazy looking, like this one; I asked him if it was a Virgata and he said it was something else, which I have forgotten. But maybe it was a Cranstonii.

Edwin, here you go.

Picea glauca 'Pendula' at Morton Arboretum
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Thanks Nate for this pic, it's of a great value for me.
It's clear that this specimen is the original one but it's not clear to me if this is the motherplant of the one we all know as Picea glauca 'Pendula' which was originaly from France.
I think this is another weeping one which is named 'Morton Arboretum Weeping' aka 'Morton Tower'
We discussed this before...

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Pendula' and 'Morton Arboretum Weeping'

Thanks Edwin.
According to the Morton Arboretum database, they received this plant as Picea glauca 'Pendula' from D. Hill Nursery Co., Union, Illinois.
The accession info also mentions the source from near Guelph, Ontario Province, Canada.

Here's a pic of the foliage.
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