Color My World … with yellow, red, orange, brown …, Or, Fall Color at The Morton Arboretum!

"The trees are spectacular at The Morton Arboretum!" While I might be prone to making this remark at anytime of the year, at this moment our grounds seem to glow with the vivid colors of autumn. Yellow, red, orange, brown with occasional splashes of purple and magenta – are all part of our fall color palette. As I walk and drive through the grounds, I’m beginning to see more and more leaves changing colors. With plants from over 40 countries, it almost seems like there'll be no end to this beautiful and colorful season!
Interested in learning more about color on our grounds? Our very own Color Scout has previewed some colorful Arboretum destinations for you in his weekly color report. Curious why and how leaves change colors? Find out in Why Leaves Change Color. Interested in reading and sharing some colorful stories? Visit the Sterling Morton Library to check out:

• Leaf Man or Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert


• The Garden in Autumn by Allen Lacy


• Autumn Leaves by Ron Lanner


• Sketching Outdoors in Autumn by Jim Arnosky


• Pumpkin Heads! By Wendell Minor


• Songbird Journeys : four seasons in the lives of migratory birds by Miyoko Chu


• On the Wing : American birds in migration by Carol Lerner


• Living on the Wind : across the hemisphere with migratory birds by Scott Weidensaul


• Autumn across America by Edwin Way Teale

Go for a walk, scramble through the fallen leaves and immerse yourself in an autumn world filled with a kaleidoscope of colors at The Morton Arboretum. Whether you’re looking for some information on plants to select for superb fall color, sharing an autumnal story or wanting to read a little more in-depth about this vivid season, the Sterling Morton Library has a host of resources awaiting you!

Color My World, or, Leaves of Change!

Burnt sienna, raw umber and brick red might remind you of the crayons from your childhood Crayola box, but at The Morton Arboretum we’re starting to use these very words to describe our leaves! It’s autumn and as I walk and drive through the grounds, I’m beginning to see more and more leaves changing colors. With plants from 40 countries, it almost seems like there'll be no end to this beautiful season!

Interested in learning more about color on our grounds? Our very own Color Scout has previewed some colorful Arboretum destinations for you in his weekly color report. Curious why and how leaves change colors? Find out in Why Leaves Change Color.

Interested in reading and sharing some colorful stories? Visit the Sterling Morton Library to check out:
Leaf Man or Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
The Garden in Autumn by Allen Lacy
Autumn Leaves by Ron Lanner
Sketching Outdoors in Autumn by Jim Arnosky
Pumpkin Heads! By Wendell Minor
Songbird Journeys : four seasons in the lives of migratory birds by Miyoko Chu
On the Wing : American birds in migration by Carol Lerner
Living on the Wind : across the hemisphere with migratory birds by Scott Weidensaul
Autumn across America by Edwin Way Teale

Go for a walk, scramble through the fallen leaves and immerse yourself in an autumn world of burnt sienna, raw umber and brick red at The Morton Arboretum. Whether you’re looking for some information on plants to select for superb fall color, sharing an autumnal story with a wee one or wanting to read a little more in-depth about this vivid season, the Sterling Morton Library has a host of resources awaiting you!

Fall color at The Morton Arboretum

I was just perusing the report of the Arboretum’s Color Scout. (Link to the current fall color report by the Arboretum's very own Ed, the Color Scout.) Along with a description and identification of some of the sensational fall colors to be found here at the Arboretum, he also provides a brief explanation of the mechanics of these brilliant colors. Be sure to review his explanation.

In the Sterling Morton Library, there are a number of resources about the garden in autumn. Whether you’re looking for some information on plants to select for superb fall color or wanting to read a little more in-depth about the fascinating process underway, the Library has a host of resources! Ready to go for a walk, crunch some leaves and immerse yourself in the red, yellow, orange, gold, maroon and, yes, green of this autumn? Before you head out for point beyond, stop by the Sterling Morton Library to look at:

• Fall color and woodland harvests : a guide to the more colorful fall leaves and fruits of the eastern forests by C. Ritchie Bell, Anne H. Lindsey.
• Autumn leaves : a guide to the fall colors of the northwoods by Ronald M. Lanner.
• The garden in autumn by Allen Lacy.
• Sketching outdoors in autumn by Jim Arnosky.
• When autumn comes by Robert Maass.
• The bear's autumn by Keizaburo Tejima.
• Another kind of autumn by Loren Eiseley.
• Autumn across America : a naturalist's record of a 20,000-mile journey through the North American autumn by Edwin Way Teale.
• A garden book for autumn and winter by Charles Downing Lay.
• My garden in autumn and winter by E.A. Bowles.
• Exploring nature around the year : fall by David Webster.
• Berried treasure : shrubs for autumn and winter colour in your garden by F. Kingdon-Ward.