Northern & Central Midwest
April, 2006
Regional Report
Shows & Events
Arbor Day Celebration
Arbor Day begins a three-day celebration of tree planting at the Morton Arboretum, April 28-30! Join them for weekend activities commemorating this first environmental holiday, which was started in 1872 by Julius Sterling Morton, father of Arboretum founder Joy Morton. There will be tree planting, special meals, entertainment, and a huge plant sale through the weekend. The arboretum is at 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL. For more info, call (630) 968-0074, or e-mail: trees@mortonarb.org.
Favorite or New Plant
Serbian spruce
Serbian spruce (Picea omorika) is a magnificent spruce that can take your breath away when you see one. The graceful, upturned branches are draped with elegantly hanging branchlets, giving it the look of a woman holding up her skirts in a curtsy. The dark green needles are white on the undersides, and the plant has coffee brown bark that peels off in long plates. Serbian spruces are extremely hardy, asking only for a site with full sun and good drainage. This narrow pyramidal beauty is certainly a plant worth adding to your landscape.
