The Plant Clinic
The Morton Arboretum’s Plant Clinic is a leading source of science-based advice about trees, plants, and landscapes, helping gardeners and landscape professionals throughout the Chicago region and the world have healthy, attractive, well-chosen plants.
With advice based on research and nearly a century of experience in caring for a wide variety of trees and plants in the Midwest, the Plant Clinic helps promote sound management practices.
Often the Plant Clinic staff can direct guests to mature plants on the Arboretum’s grounds, which can be a great help in choosing the most appropriate plant for a yard or landscape.
The Plant Clinic also has many online resources to help with trees and plants.
For service on weekdays, you may visit the Plant Clinic lobby in person or call 630-719-2424, Monday through Friday, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. You can also email your plant care questions to plantclinic@mortonarb.org at any time.
At any season of the year, the Plant Clinic is ready to help gardeners and landscaping professionals have lovely and useful gardens and healthy trees and plants.
The staff and volunteers can recommend good trees, shrubs, and other plants for particular conditions; identify plants; and help with questions about insects and pests, soils, pruning, weeds, and many other topics. They can refer callers to a lab for soil testing or help them find a certified arborist through the Illinois Arborist Association.
Here are some tips on how to make the most of a call or e-mail with the Plant Clinic:
- If possible, know what kind of plant you’re talking about. Be as specific as you can. For example, it’s more useful to say you have a yew or an arborvitae than to say you have an evergreen. If you have the tag that came with the plant, have it handy.
- If you don’t know what kind of plant it is, examine it closely and be ready to describe it in detail—not just leaves or flowers, but stems, bark, and branches. Taking a photo that you can email or bringing in a sample will help enormously with identification.
- To help with identification, show samples of different plant parts—the flowers or nuts, for example, as well as the stem and leaves. How the leaves grow on the stem is important information, so take a photo of a twig with leaves attached.
- Be ready to describe the conditions the plant is growing under. How many hours of sun does it get? How close is it to a sidewalk or driveway? Do you water it? Do you fertilize it? Can you remember when, how much fertilizer you used, and what the formula was? Have you used any chemicals on the plant? How old is the plant? What grows near it?
- Think about conditions farther afield. Has a neighbor sprayed or treated his lawn? Has there been construction next door? Is your road salted in the winter? The effects of some stresses, such as road salt or drought, may not show up in a tree or shrub for months or years, so try to remember back a while.
- When you seek a recommendation for a tree or shrub to plant, make a note of the conditions it will grow under, such as sun and soil, and the available space. Be sure to consider if there are overhead utility lines. The Plant Clinic can help you choose a plant that will suit your needs and thrive in your conditions.
- Find an extensive library of tree and plant advice on the website or see the Tree and Plant Finder to learn about specific plants.
Trained staff and volunteers are available by phone or by email to help with tree and plant selection, identifying and coping with pests and diseases, and other concerns.
The Plant Clinic also accepts samples for assessment, though it does not have a laboratory on-site. Plants requiring lab testing should be sent to the University of Illinois Plant Clinic Extension.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Morton Arboretum is a leading source of science-based advice about trees, plants, and landscapes.
Find expert advice on how to care for the trees and plants in your home or community garden or green spaces.
Learn about common tree and plant issues and how to deal with them in your home and community gardens.
Get expert help selecting the right tree or plant for your planting site.
Search tree and plant profiles for descriptions and details that can help you make knowledgeable choices to plan and maintain your home, garden, or community landscape.
You can search, browse, and learn more about the plants in The Morton Arboretum’s living collections by visiting the BRAHMS Online website and browse herbarium specimens from across the Chicago region in the vPlants website.
This publication highlights key factors to consider when planting a tree, including planting site characteristics, purchasing a quality tree, planting a tree, and maintaining the newly planted tree.
Download and view this guide, which describes species that grow well in Northern Illinois and recommends best planting sites and best practices.
Get the scoop on what’s in bloom, active pests and diseases, growing degree days, weather data, and more from the experts at the Arboretum’s Plant Clinic.
If you have used the Plant Clinic service and would like to provide some feedback, please follow the link below and fill out a short survey:
Plant Clinic Client Survey