Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy

OLD GROWTH CYPRESS DOES NOT ESCAPE HURRICANE IDA’S WRATH

Many of the old growth cypress landmarked by the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy since 2003 were in the the wide swath of Ida’s very strong winds. We can report on three of these cypress located in St. John, St. Charles, and Jefferson Parishes.

 

The most damaged cypress of the three mentioned in this blog entry is the Shell Bank Bayou Cypress, located near the entrance of Shell Bank Bayou off Hwy 55 in St. John Parish. This tree was landmarked in  with plaque # 39 in 2013; estimated at 450  years old base on account of rings taken from a boring.

LPCL cypress on Shell Bank Bayou, St. John Parish after Ida, September 2021

                                                             (Plaque #38 remains on tree)

Paddlers passing by LPCL Landmarked cypress (Plaque #39 ) (Before Ida)

Here is a link to the 2014 blog entry providing more information about the LPCL landmarking of this tree.
                                                

Although we're unlikely to see this tree return to its former glory in our lifetimes (if at all), this fine old cypress deserves our best wishes for  leafy new limbs and a second lease on life.

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"The Monarch Cypress"-- Barrataria Preserve (Jean Lafitte National Park), Jefferson Parish

Perhaps among the most visited of all landmarked LPCL cypress, this cypress is easily accessible  from the Bayou Coquille trail. Estimated at over 600 years old, it is the older known cypress in Jefferson Parish.

Barrataria Preserve "Monarch Cypress" on Coquille Trail in September 2021 after Ida impact

                                         -- it is  missing large limbs seen in 2012 photo below

       Dedication in 2012 of LPCL's Founders tree for Louisiana Bicentennial Cypress Legacy

This cherished "Monarch" of the Barrataria Preserve also lost limbs during Hurricane Zeta and no doubt has weathered many undocumented hurricanes through the centuries. As with all trees impacted by Hurricane Ida, we wish the Monarch a healthy recovery many more years of stately grandeur.

Click here for the 2012 Times Picayune story about the La Bicentennisl Cypress Legacy dedication of the Barrataria Preserve Monarch cypress.

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Dufrene Cypress, Pierre Part, St. Charles Parish

We can report happier news regarding the beloved Dufrene family cypress along Bayou Gauche in Pierre Part, St. Charles Parish. Despite enduring Ida's winds well in excess of 100mph. it came through unscathed. It was landmarked in 2010 (LPCL Plaque #27), and at approximately 300+ years old, is still the oldest known cypress in St. Charles Parish. At about half the age of the Barrataria "Monarch"  and 150 years younger than the unfortunate Shell Bank Bayou cypress described above, the Dufrene family cypress may been more resilient to very strong winds than the two other more aged trees shown above.

Although this tree has likely survived countless hurricanes through the centuries, it was not Mother Nature that nearly brought down this tree, but rather the "hand of man" in the form of proposed St. Charles Parish levee improvements that would have forced removal of the tree. But thanks to the tenacity of Murray Dufrene, this tree has thus far escaped destruction-- levee improvements will be located to  spare the tree.

Click here to read Murray's Dufrene's published plea for saving this cypress from the proposed St. Charles levee improvements

Dufrene Family cypress-- September 2021

Dufrene cypress in its splendor before to Hurricane Ida

The Dufrene family exemplifies the stewardship of privately owned old growth cypress that is helping ensure that centuries old (and in several cases millenium old) cypress throughout Louisiana will be there for future generations, however many hurricanes  and lightning storms come their way.

We'll continue to report on how other LPCL landmarked cypress have fared post-Ida. We welcome any updates from our readers, and, as always, appreciate any leads for old growth cypress throughout the state.

Finally, It is tragic that so many towns and settlements throughout southeast Louisiana have suffered at least as much damage from Hurricane Ida as our natural heritage--our centuries old cypress and live oaks; those trees that have survived likely provide little solace to those who have lost everything.  Louisianans have demonstrated resilience through the centuries despite what Mother Nature throws their way -- all the more reason that stewardship of our remaining old growth cypress is so vital.