Arboretum Trail Walk

park map

Admission to the Willowhaven Park is free and open to the public.

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Tree Number: 1
Common Name: Swamp White Oak
Scientific Name: Quercus bicolor
This common species of oak is native to Illinois. It is a medium-sized tree in the beech family. Leaves are a glossy, dark green on top and almost white on the underside. After pollination, swamp white oaks produce an acorn nut in early fall.
For more information on the swamp white oak, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 2
Common Name: Ironwood
Scientific Name: Ostrya virginiana
The ironwood is also known as the American hophornbeam tree. It is a small deciduous tree that can be found growing in the understory of larger trees around eastern North America. Their flowers are called catkins and hang down from the tree in early spring at the same time new leaves appear.
For more information on ironwood trees, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 3
Common Name: Northern Catalpa
Scientific Name: Catalpa speciosa
Catalpa trees have large, heart-shaped leaves that typically fall off in autumn before changing color. The flowers are trumpet shaped white flowers that turn into long, legume-like brown seed pods that can reach up to 12 inches long.
For more information about northern catalpa, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 4
Common Name: River Birch
Scientific Name: Betula nigra
River birch are known for having multiple slender tree trunks with paper-like bark. They are often found in floodplains and swamps. River birch are more heat tolerant than other trees in the birch family and are commonly found in Illinois.
For more information on the river birch, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 5
Common Name: London Planetree
Scientific Name: Platanus x acerifolia
This large tree is a hybrid between an American sycamore and a non-native Oriental planetree. Mature trees have scaling bark and the tops of the trees have a white, bark-less appearance. Mature trees produce a round cluster of seeds with stiff hairs that catch the wind when dispersed.
For more information on London planetrees, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 6
Common Name: Ohio Buckeye
Scientific Name: Aesculus glabra
This native Illinois tree has soft, light wood and each leaf has 5 long and broad leaflets. The buckeye gets its name from the round, brown nuts with tan spots it produces that resemble the eye of a deer. Seeds are poisonous to people as they contain tannic acid but can be a food source for squirrels.
For more information on the Ohio buckeye, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 7
Common Name: Kentucky Coffeetree
Scientific Name: Gymnocladus dioicus
Coffeetrees have reddish-brown, legume-like seed pods that have three to five seeds in each pod. The name “coffeetree” originates from settlers who would roast the seeds and use them as a substitute for coffee beans. If should be noted that unroasted seeds and pods are toxic. Coffeetrees have large leaves that are comprised of 30 or more smaller leaflets ranging in size from two to three inches long.
For more information on the Kentucky coffeetree, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 8
Common Name: Red Maple
Scientific Name: Acer rubrum
Red maples are common deciduous trees known for their striking red color. The red maple has red flowers, red fruit, red twigs, and of course, brilliant red fall foliage. Red maples are highly adaptable and can be found in many different soil types and elevations.
For more information on the red maple, please check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 9
Common Name: Pyramidal Arborvitae/ White Cedar
Scientific Name: Thuja occidentalis
Arborvitae is commonly called the “tree of life.” The nickname originates from French settlers who learned from Native Americans that the tree’s foliage could be used to treat the disease scurvy. This common evergreen tree belongs to the cypress family and is native to Illinois. It is widely used as an ornamental tree and is commonly used in hedges, parks, gardens, and cemeteries.
For more information on the arborvitae, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 10
Common Name: Eastern Redbud
Scientific Name: Cercis canadensis
This stunning tree fills with flower clusters of small, pink-purple blooms in early spring, earning it the name “redbud.” The early spring blossoms attract nectar-seeking insects including early season bees and butterflies. This Illinois native tree has smooth, heart-shaped leaves and is commonly planted as an ornamental tree in parks and urban landscapes.
For more information on eastern redbuds, click this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 11
Common Name: Blue Beech/ American Hornbeam
Scientific Name: Carpinus caroliniana
The Blue beech, also known at the American hornbeam, gets its name from its bluish-gray bark. It has a distinct trunk and large branches that are fluted and almost muscle-like in appearance giving it another nickname, “musclewood.” It can thrive in shady areas with moist soil and is commonly found along stream banks.
For more information on the blue beech, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 12
Common Name: Bald Cypress
Scientific Name: Taxiodium distichum
The bald cypress is a cone-bearing tree, also known as a conifer. Unlike most conifers, bald cypresses are deciduous, meaning they loses their needles in the fall. The bald cypress is quite adaptable and can grow in clay, dry soils, as well as in the swamps of the southern United States.
For more information on the bald cypress, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 13
Common Name: Black Tupelo/ Black Gum / Sour Gum
Scientific Name: Nyssa sylvatica
The black tupelo is a deciduous tree that belongs to the dogwood family. It has thin, dark brown or gray bark that looks like alligator hide. Tupelos are known for their dark green leaves that turn purple and eventually scarlet in autumn. Tupelo fruit is an important source of food for birds, squirrels, raccoons, and deer.
For more information on the black tupelo, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 14
Common Name: Hackberry
Scientific Name: Celtis occidentalis
The hackberry is a tough, hardwood tree that grows in a wide range of soils. It has glossy-green, coarse leaves with serrated edges. The hackberry is easily distinguished by its cork-like bark and warty appearance. It produces small greenish flowers in the spring that turn into round, berry-like fruits that turn deep purple when ripen. Fruit appear in late summer and will remain on the tree into winter.
For more information on the hackberry, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 15
Common Name: Yellow Poplar/
Tulip tree Scientific Name: Liriodendron tulipifera
This large, stately, deciduous tree is native to Illinois and is a member of the Magnolia family. The name “tulip tree” comes from the tulip-like, yellow and orange flowers that appear in late spring. Leaves are simple, smooth on both sides, and have four pointed lobes.
For more information on tulip trees, please visit this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 16
Common Name: Sweet Gum
Scientific Name: Liquidambar styraciflua
This Illinois-native is typically found in the southeastern United States. It is easily recognizable for its round, spiky fruits and five-pointed, star-shaped leaves that turn stunning colors in the fall. Sweet gum gets its name from its fragrant resin or “gum” that exudes from wounds of the tree.
For more information on the sweet gum, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 17
Common Name: American Linden
Scientific Name: Tilia americana
The American linden is also known as a basswood or an American basswood. It is a fast-growing deciduous tree with heart-shaped leaves that change to yellow-green in the fall. Small yellow-white flowers bloom in late spring/early summer and are known to attract pollinating insects like bees. Honey made from the flowers of the American linden is said to be a prized gourmet item with a distinct taste.
For more information on American linden, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 18
Common Name: American Yellowwood
Scientific Name: Cladrastis kentukea
This medium sized, deciduous tree is a member of the legume family. Yellowwood flowers are white, fragrant, pea-like flowers that hang in long clusters that often reach up to 15 inches long. Yellowwood gets its name from the yellow color of its heartwood when freshly cut.
For more information on the American yellowwood, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 19
Common Name: Eastern Cottonwood
Scientific Name: Populus deltoides
Eastern cottonwoods are fast-growing, large deciduous trees with yellowish twigs, coarsely toothed leaves and gummy bud ends. Eastern cottonwoods can be identified by their blocky, ashy-gray bark. The cottonwood has caterpillar-like flowers, called catkins, which are wind pollinated. The seeds have a fluffy tuft of white fuzz, hence the term “cottonwood.”
For more information on the eastern cottonwood, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 20
Common Name: Eastern White Pine
Scientific Name: Pinus strobus
White pines can be identified by their clusters of long, soft, blue-green needles that grow in groups of five. This native Illinois conifer keeps its needles year-round and produces a four to eight-inch-long cylindrical seed cone. White pines are valuable lumber trees and are commonly used as Christmas trees.
For more information on Eastern white pines, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 21
Common Name: Shingle Oak
Scientific Name: Quercus imbricaria
The shingle oak has dark green leaves that lack the typical lobes found in most oak trees. The common name “shingle oak” comes from the early practice of making roofing shingles from the wood. This member of the Red Oak group produces rounded acorns with scaly cups in autumn. Like most oaks, shingle oak leaves tend to stay on the tree throughout most of winter.
For more information on the shingle oak, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 22
Common Name: Skyline Honey locust
Scientific Name: Gleditsia triacanthos
Skyline honey locusts are a specially cultivated type of honey locust with no thorns and, in many cases, no seedpods which make them preferred landscape plants. Honey locust seedpods contain, in addition to seeds, a sweet gummy substance that gives the honey locust its common name. The leaves are fernlike and composed of numerous leaflets. The green rounded leaflets have serrated edges and will turn an attractive yellow in autumn.
For more information on the Skyline honey locust, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 23
Common Name: Sugar Maple
Scientific Name: Acer saccharum
The sugar maple is best known for its beautiful fall leaf colors and its sweet sap that is used to make maple syrup and maple sugar. Sugar maples have dark gray bark with furrowed ridges. The fruit of a maple tree, commonly known as a “helicopter” is called a samara. Inside the winged samara is the seed of the tree; a food source for chipmunks, squirrels and other small mammals.
For more information on the sugar maple, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 24
Common Name: Ginkgo
Scientific Name: Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgos are known as ‘living fossils’ as they have been in the fossil record since before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. They have unique, fan shaped leaves that turn a stunning yellow in the fall. Ginkgo trees establish easily and are often planted in urban areas.
For more information on Ginkgo trees, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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Tree Number: 25
Common Name: Accolade™ Elm
Scientific Name: Ulmus 'Morton' Accolade™
The Accolade Elm is a disease and pest resistant hybrid of the American Elm. It has been selected from the collections of the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois for its graceful, vase-shaped habit, rapid growth rate, dark green, glossy foliage, drought tolerance and vibrant yellow fall color.
For more information on the Accolade™ elm, check out this link to the Morton Arboretum.
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While you are visiting the nature center, be sure to check out the beautiful 120 acres of park space surrounding the center. The Willowhaven park has over 1.7 miles of hiking trails that wind around prairies, ponds and wetland areas. Park amenities include a playground, disc golf course, wildflower gardens, fitness station and spacous outdoor picnic shelter. Restrooms are available on the north side of the nature center building. Catch and release fishing is allowed year round from the shore line or from any of the three fishing overlooks. Park hours are dark to dusk.

 

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disc golf course mapThe Willowhaven park features a 9 hole disc golf course that is free and open to the public.

The course is a 3,468 feet, par 32 flat course with some trees and tall prairies plants to challenge players.

Course amenities include concrete tee pads and permanent baskets.

 

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