Published: July 31, 2017

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Morton Arboretum in Illinois

This 1700-acre arboretum offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in countless forests and gardens with thousands of species, and areas specially dedicated to trees from Japan, China, Korea and Europe, in addition to North America.

The Spruce Plot in Morton Arboretum

A coniferous forest on the east side of the arboretum. The Morton Arboretum is located in Lisle, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from Chicago, and constitutes, in the words of its founder, Joy Morton, an "outdoor museum" of trees.

One of the many ponds in Morton Arboretum

The arboretum is open all year round, which allows to observe the flowering processes and growth of the various species, and it also offers all sorts of activities, for both children and adults, from botany, ornithology, or nature photography, drawing and painting classes, to yoga, meditation, hiking and vocational training.

The Fragrance Garden

This space next to the Thornhill Education Center, on the northeast area of the park, concentrates many varieties of aromatic plants.

Panoramic view of the Fragrance Garden

Panorama of a section of the Fragrance Garden in Morton Arboretum.

Singapore daisy or creeping daisy

The Morton Arboretum offers many ideal spaces for flower photography, since its assorted species are arranged in areas with different degrees and varieties of natural illumination. The trees surrounding the flowers act as natural diffusers, and the sunlight filtered by their branches provides many options to adjust the exposure balance between flower and background on the picture.

Deer in Morton Arboretum

In some of the most isolated and silent areas of the arboretum there is a deer population; if you tread lightly down the wildest trails, you can occasionally see some of these wonderful animals, such as the one peeking in this picture, and there is another one hidden in the vegetation.

Hot Pink New Guinea Impatiens

Pink flowers next to a path in the arboretum

Benches immersed in nature in summer

Benches immersed in the arboretum’s nature in summer

This area is part of the Ground Cover Garden, where different species are grown all year round, since the botanists at Morton Arboretum plan their growth according to changing factors such as temperature and light requirements, resistance to pests, or foliage density, as well as flowering times, so as to balance the species in this garden and present the best possible combinations every season.

Morton Arboretum's Ground Cover Garden

A path of the Ground Cover Garden in summer.

Park next to the Thornhill Education Center

Park surrounding the Thornhill Center, the old residency of the Morton family, on the west area of the arboretum.

DuPage River through Morton Arboretum

This is the east branch of the DuPage River, next to the Arboretum’s European trees collection.

Morton Arboretum landscape in autumn

One of the many benches in the arboretum along the 14 kilometers (9 miles) of roads, and 26 kilometers (16 miles) of trails. The roads inside the arboretum can be traversed with cars, motorbikes and bicycles, and the arboretum also offers sightseeing tours of all kinds.

View from the Maze Garden lookout platform

The Morton Arboretum has a shrub maze with an elevated platform in a sycamore tree from where you have a 360-degree view of the surroundings. The shrubs in the foreground are part of the labyrinth, and are approximately 2 meters high (6.5 feet); in the middle, part of the toddler maze, a miniature maze for mini explorers; and in the background, an event area. In the maze interior there are clues as part of 4 adventures, which children, or adults under 6.5 feet tall, can follow to quickly find the secret access to the sycamore, and the exit, before panicking.

The Hedge Garden adjacent to the Maze Garden

Singapore daisies

A patch of yellow flowers in summer

The Hedge Garden

Panoramic view of a grove in Morton Arboretum

The arboretum has a great variety of tree species, which can only be fully appreciated by exploring the thousands of acres of groves.

Weeping Willow

A weeping willow in the Godshalk Meadow, adjacent to the DuPage River, an ideal location since it contributes to satisfying the high water needs of this type of trees.

Media (18)

The Spruce Plot in Morton Arboretum

One of the ponds in Morton Arboretum

The Fragrance Garden

Panoramic view of the Fragrance Garden

Yellow flowers

Deer in Morton Arboretum

Pink flowers next to a path in the arboretum

Benches immersed in the arboretum’s nature in summer

Morton Arboretum’s Ground Cover Garden

Park next to the Thornhill Education Center - Thumbnail