Join a spring tram tour of trees from other climatic zones that are able to thrive in our Illinois climate. The heart of The Morton Arboretum’s work is its living collection of trees and other plants. These collections include trees at the edges of their growing ranges, as well as trees growing outside of their usual ecosystems and climatic zones.
In 2024, collections and horticulture fellow Terian Koscik initiated a project examining the Arboretum’s plant records with the goal of identifying climatic outliers of known wild provenance—trees whose geographic origins are known that are doing better in our climate than might be expected based on their native range.
In this guided tour of the Arboretum’s collections, travel the grounds by tram and on foot to explore some of the findings from this study. As you enjoy a spring tram ride at the Arboretum, Koscik will highlight trees that may thrive in northern Illinois in the future and share the history and stories of some of these unique plants. You’ll never see the Arboretum’s trees the same way again!
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Terian Koscik, research fellow, The Morton Arboretum
Age: 16 and older
Course number: N730
