Sassafras is gorgeous in the fall when its leaves turn yellow, orange and red (pictured at top of post). It’s fun to pick out its three types of leaves: one looks like a mitten, another like a two-thumbed mitten, and the third has no thumbs. “It’s a great scratch-and-sniff tree,” said Ed Hedborn, Manager of Plant Records and the Arboretum’s so-called Fall Color Scout. “When you scratch a twig, it smells like a fruit-flavored breakfast cereal.” Male and female flowers are on separate plants, so you’ll need both plants for blooming. This 30-60 foot tree likes sun or shade and slightly acidic soil.

When you scratch a yellow birch twig, it gives a wintergreen scent. This essence was added to medicines to make them taste better. Birch beer was a popular drink for a time, and birch bark was another root beer flavoring. Birch bark is waterproof, which helped Native Americans make good canoes and wigwams.

Birches turn a pretty, pure gold in the fall. Its silvery bark peels in elegant, thin sheets. “River birch is much more suited to our climate than the favored paper birch, which is difficult to grow here,” said Edith Makra, arborist and the Arboretum’s Community Trees Advocate. This tree can grow up to 60 feet tall, likes cool, moist soil and does well in full sun or part shade.

Staghorn sumac was also put to great uses by our ancestors. Native Americans added sumac to tobacco in their peace pipes. Colonists made a lemonade-like beverage out of the red berry fruits. High in vitamin C, it could ward off scurvy. And Appalachians used tannin from twigs and leaves to cure leather and used the bark to dye cloth.

Staghorn sumac is a fall color stunner. “It’s hit-the-breaks gorgeous,” Makra said. Common along roadsides, sumac screams gold, scarlet, purple and burgundy colors—sometimes all on one leaf. A large, fairly vigorous shrub that grows 15-25 feet high, staghorn sumac needs a lot of space. It likes full sun and tolerates dry soil and road salt.

To find out which trees are turning now, visit “Bloom ’n color” to see Ed’s Weekly Color Scout Report.

Glad You Asked
Q. I love staghorn sumac, but I don’t have the space. Is there an alternative?
A. Try Prairie Flame shining sumac. The shrub typically reaches no more than 7-feet, and is better behaved than its vigorous cousin.

Q. Why should I consider planting unusual trees?
A. Planting different kinds of trees, diversifying our urban forests, is healthier for them. That way one disease or pest like the emerald ash borer can’t wipe out a large portion of our landscapes. “We have such a large palette of trees, but people tend to use the same ones over and over,” said Arboretum Assistant Director of Collections, Kunso Kim.

This article was written by The Morton Arboretum and first appeard in the Chicago Sun Times.

There were a lot of hills on the course,” said men’s winner Jacek (Jack) Kafel, 32, of River Forest, who won the event with a time of 15 minutes, 25.2 seconds. Kafel, whose 1-mile pace was 4 minutes, 58 seconds, called conditions “perfect for running.” Under mostly sunny skies, temperatures hovered around 50 degrees at the 8 a.m. start time.

Finishing second was 27-year-old Chicagoan Brian Runyon, in 16 minutes, 1.4 seconds. Third place went to Dan Scheffler, a 42-year-old from Oswego, in a time of 16 minutes, 14.4 seconds.

The top women’s finisher was Megan Baganz, 31, of Naperville, in 18 minutes, 49.8 seconds. Baganz, who says she usually runs one 5K per month during the summertime, had to curtail training when she fell in May and broke a collarbone. That made her victory even sweeter, Baganz said. “It was so good to get back into it.” 

The popular Arboretum Fall Color 5K Run and Walk drew 2,185 participants, with some from neighboring states and even one from California. The total included approximately 250 youngsters for the “Kids Dash.” 

Only those who pre-registered were chip-timed, and only chip-timed competitors were eligible for official times. Full race results are available at http://www.mortonarb.org (search 5K Run).

Contestants received a “goodie bag” and a T-shirt upon arrival and, following the race, were invited to the Fitness Fair, which offered recovery foods and beverages and where experts taught stretching exercises. Contestants also were entered into a raffle, with prizes of an Arboretum membership, clothing and more.

The Morton Arboretum gratefully acknowledges our sponsors: AthletiCo, Dick Pond Athletics, and REI.

Children can learn about the different types of bats that live in Illinois and make a bat finger puppet to take home during the drop-in activity, “Beneficial Bats.” And who can resist an entertaining storyteller, in “Arbor Reading.”

Gardeners will see or purchase many varieties of African violets this weekend during the “Harvest Showcase.”

And, of course, you can find fall color plants, unique garden ornaments and container garden items in our Fall Garden Marketplace: an outdoor shopping boutique headquartered in Arbor Court through the month of October.

And don’t foget our annual “Scarecrow Trail.” Members and visitors started voting late in September for “Hannah Plantanah,” “Elvis Parsley,” “Phantom of the Arboretum” and others. They’re among the 35 creative, cleverly-decorated, nature-themed scarecrows vying to be chosen as the best on the at The Morton Arboretum.

INDIVIDUAL WEEKEND EVENTS still to come
* African Violet Show and Sale: October 25, 1 – 4 pm; October 26, 10 am – 4 pm
* Book Signing with the Arboretum’s Dr. Andrew Hipp: October 25: 11 am – 3 pm

WEEKENDS
* Theatre-Hike: Dracula:  weekends in October. Saturdays at 1 – 3:30 pm, Sundays at 3 – 5:30 pm
* The Fall Garden Marketplace: Weekends in October: 11 am – 4 pm; Wednesdays in October: 11 am – 2 pm

DAILY, through OCTOBER 26
* The Scarecrow Trail: 7 am – 7 pm or sunset, whichever is earlier

WEEKDAYS IN OCTOBER
* Children’s Garden Drop-in Activity: Beneficial Bats, 1 – 4 pm (weather permitting)
* Children’s Garden Drop-in Activity: ArborReading, Fridays, 11 – 11:20 am (weather permitting)

The Morton Arboretum gratefully acknowledges all of our sponsors:
UPM, the Fall Color Festival Presenting Sponsor, and Bank of America, the Supporting Sponsor, along with the Bicycling Sponsor, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, and the Featured Wine Sponsor, Bonterra Vineyards. Fall Color 5K Run sponsors are AthletiCo, Dick Pond Athletics, and REI.