The last few summers the Morton Arboretum has had a “BIG” exhibit to bring people outdoors and celebrate nature. There’s been frogs, giant bugs, giant lego statues, and life size origami.
And this year, a Troll Hunt!
The Trolls are the design of Danish artist Thomas Dambo. These 15- to 30-foot-tall, and one 60-foot long, sculptures are created from reclaimed wood and other forest items to bring people out into nature and serve as protectors of our environment. This guy, Neils Bragger, definitely says, “Don’t mess with me or my woods!”.
This Troll Hunt exhibit is Dambo’s first large exhibit in the US and part of a worldwide fairy tale that Dambo is creating, “The Great Story of the Little People and the Giant Trolls“. The first installment was in Copenhagen, the second in South Korea and the third now at the Arboretum. The Morton Arboretum is lucky to have it!
The faces, hands and feet were built from recycled wood in Dambo’s shop in Copenhagen and shipped to the Arboretum.
All year the Arboretum collected wood scraps, battered boards, fallen trees and branches, and the remains of pallets and packing crates which were added on site to create the massive Trolls including Furry Ema, who would like to trap some visitors!
Unlike the past exhibits, to see the trolls does require some driving and walking, or in my case bike riding.
You can see some from the Arboretum roads, but to see them up close you need to leave the road and walk just a few feet or up to 3/4 of a mile to see them over pavement, wood-chipped, and mown grass trails. There is a Troll tram that will bring you to the sites and give you lots of interesting facts about the Trolls and the arboretum if you prefer to have someone else do the driving.
Any way you get there, be careful you don’t get eaten by Little Arturs!
Be sure to pick up the Troll Hunter’s Handbook at the Visitors Center. It looks like a kid’s adventure guide, but The Handbook will help you find the trolls and collect clues to locate the Troll’s secret hideout, which I sadly missed on this trip. I will be back! The Trolls are expected to be around through the end of the year, maybe longer if they hold up well. Check out this Arboretum page if you need more information and tips for your visit.
Of course, no trip the Arboretum is complete without seeing some of the amazing plant collection and finding something I need in my garden.
Pale-leaved Wood Sunflowers (Helianthus strumosus) were in full bloom on the forest edge on the East Side.
Always a stunning seasonal display in the garden in front of the visitor center!
I may need to add some of this Autumn Moor Grass (Sesleria Autumnalis). Looks great next to the Summer Beauty Allium (Allium senescens subsp. montanum ‘Summer Beauty’).
Have you been on the Troll Hunt? I’ll let you know on Instagram at Stephigardens when I find The Hideaway!