Arboretum Offers Seminar On Conifer Care

Yews Need Loving, Too!

LISLE, IL (January 25, 2007) – Would you like to spruce up your spruces? Do you pine for healthy pines? Have your larches started to lurch? Do you have to comb over your bald cypresses?

The Morton Arboretum is now taking registrations for “Rx for Conifers,” a seminar on Friday, March 16, at Thornhill Education Center. While many of the deciduous trees (that lose their leaves each year) such as elms, ashes and oaks have gotten a lot of attention lately, our coniferous friends can suffer through droughts, pest infestations and diseases, too.

The seminar features Glen Stanosz, professor of plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin, speaking on the causes of conifer diseases, and Philip Nixon, entomologist for the Department of Natural Resources at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, offering an extensive presentation on conifer pests and methods to control them. Nancy Pataky, plant pathologist and Plant Clinic manager for the Department of Crop Science at the University of Illinois, will speak on common, but easily remedied, planting and care mistakes that people make with conifers.

The “Rx for Conifers” seminar wraps up with guided walks of the Arboretum’s Pine Family Collection, where horticulture staff conducts hands-on sessions on conifer care and problems. Some of the trees in this collection are more than 80 years old.

The day begins with registration and refreshments from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. During the morning break, participants may enter a contest to win a copy of The Morton Arboretum’s “Tree and Shrub Handbook.”

The cost for “Rx for Conifers” is $119 per person ($99 for Arboretum members) and includes all seminar material, break refreshments and lunch. To register for the seminar (Education course SE316), contact the Arboretum Registrar at 630-719-2468 or visit www.mortonarb.org.

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of more than 3,800 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission – the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CDT) and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST). The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) and 9:30 to 4 p.m. (CST). Visit www.mortonarb.org or call 630/968-0074 to learn more.

Media Contacts:    Gina Tedesco, 630-725-2103 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Marty Cusack, 630-719-5768 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it