If we follow the Ume River upstream, we will find, last but not least, the continent of Europe. So far, we have planted over 250 trees and shrubs, divided into 33 different species here. The management differs considerably from other parts of the arboretum, as Umeå’s wild flora belongs here. Perhaps the least exotic part for those of us who live here in Sweden, but not for those who come from far away!
Europe can be reached on several different paths and offers some of the arboretum’s most stunning views.
Whether you come from far away or grew up here, you will find trees that are common to this particular area, such as the alder (Alnus glutinosa), juniper (Juniperus communis) and spruce (Picea abies). There are also some more unusual trees for northern Sweden that should not be missed. Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), which grows wild in Bulgaria, and our native ash (Fraxinus excelsior) give the host area an exotic touch.
The European part of the arboretum is situated at the western border of the area and can be reached on several paths. One of these runs under big pines and spruces on the Ridge, where you find some of the arboretums most stunning views; at one side the river in the background and European silver firs (Abies alba) in the foreground, and on the other side the area’s biggest and wildest ravine. The Auditorium with old pines and big aspen trees (Populus tremula) is a place for lectures and small performances. Above the auditorium and the ridge, you find car parks and the north west entrance to the arboretum, which is also one of the starting points of our adaptive hiking trail; Lägdaleden. Here, we have planted Serbian spruces (Picea omorika), a species that once covered large parts of Europe. Since the last glaciation, it is restricted to small mountain areas on Balkan where it was found in 1875. In addition, several other species planted nearby originate from the Balkan Peninsula; e.g. Balkan pine (Pinus peuce) and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). In the slopes of the European part, you find a lot of old trees which have been growing here since long before the arboretum. One of these is the Old pine (Pinus sylvestris) with visible scars caused by past wildfires in the area. Oak hill offers an excellent view over the river. Here you find planted oaks (Quercus robur) and elms (Ulmus glabra) from southern Sweden intermingled with naturally occurring bird cherries (Prunus padus), grey alders (Alnus incana) and goat willows (Salix caprea). In this area, you also find several ashes (Fraxinus excelsior) moved in 2011 from former research areas in Umeå even though they were big trees at the time. To put special emphasis on species naturally occurring in Sweden, we have just started to highlight those with special signs.