Enjoy learning about the trees in the Central Europe Collection at The Morton Arboretum, natives to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. The plants in this collection all came from species that survived the major glaciation of Europe that occurred 10,000 years ago, causing the extinction of numerous species.
Of the nearly 125 taxa represented in the collection, some of the outstanding specimens include silver fir (Abies alba ), whose silvery underleaf color gives it its common name. This species is native to the mountains of Europe, and tends to develop a perfect pyramidal shape. As you drive up the West Side Main Route, look to your right and see this impressive tree. Laurel willow (Salix pentandra) is very different from many other willows in that its leaves are extremely glossy. It is generally a large shrub or small tree. Also in this collection, you will find the two most widely planted oaks in Europe: durmast oak or sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and English oak (Quercus robur ). Check out these key species of the collection and many more. These are located between the large Norway spruce plot and the main road.