Through the Seasons at the Morton Arboretum: Then and Now (January and February)
"This is also the season where one is most apt to notice the structural framework of trees, their silhouettes and singular characteristics of bark and bud."
Through the Seasons at the Morton Arboretum: Then and Now is typically subscriber-only, but I’m making January/February public! Feel free to share if you know someone who would enjoy it.
I would confidently argue that the beauty of trees in winter rivals any of the more commonly appreciated seasons, especially at the Arboretum, where the sheer variety of species presents the opportunity to view distinct forms, textures of bark, and coloration.
January and February are represented in a unified entry in Lowell Kammerer’s Through the Seasons at the Morton Arboretum, reprinted here in the Morton Arboretum’s Bulletin of Popular Information and also distributed as a pamphlet for the Chicago Flower Show in 1942.
The Arboretum is especially proud of the specimen Sugar Maple along side the road Northwest of the Lake, the widespreading American Elm opposite it, the rugged White Oaks on Lakeview Drive, and of the fine Red Oaks, Ash, Linden, Walnut and other indigenous trees scattered throughout the woods.
As far as bark is concerned, my grandpa noted a few species that flaunt their unique coverings during the winter months:
Sycamore
Hickory
Birches
On the West side of the Arboretum, I found some stand-out examples of unique and visually fascinating bark. I love how grandpa Kammerer described the birches in the Arboretum’s collection:
The various birches with their shaggy coats of chalky white, yellow or orange tan.
There are also several trees showing a wide variety of buds, some scaley, others covered in a coat of fuzz:
Not long after the Witch-hazel has reached its height, rising sap in Willows and Dogwoods begins to brighten their stems with cheerful tones of gold, orange, purple, and red.
On the West side, there were plentiful examples of cheerful, colorful willows along the path of the DuPage River:
Despite the winter weather, during months that on their face feel drab and grey, the trees of the Arboretum offer unique beauty. The lack of foliage lets texture and color of bark and branch shine through.
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