Oldest known cypress landmarked in Lafayette and St. Mary Parishes

 Oldest known cypress in St. Mary and Lafayette     Parishes discovered along Bayou Tortue

Bayou Tortue, bordering Lafayette La, is the boundary between St. Mary and Lafayette Parishes

Until recently St. Mary and Lafayette Parishes were among those for which know La Purchase Cypress trees  been landmarked-- those trees determined  to be older  than 219 years old-- alive at the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Last December we explored Bayou Tortue and were fortunate to find among  the scattered old growth two cypress on either side two cypress worthy of LPCL plaques, attesting they were "Alive in 1803" --based on ring counts of borings taken form the trees. 

On the Lafayette Parish (west) side of Bayou Tortue.about two hundred feet from the shore is a fine old cypress landmarked with LPCL plaque #75

Here's what we found regarding the estimated age of this tree:

Measured circumference 18'11"  six feet above base

Estimated trunk circumference above buttress: 16'6"   radius 31"

Boring: 7.75 inches  Rings counted: approximately 210 (very closely spaced)

Age calculation:

    7.75 inch boring / 31 inch radius = 210 estimated boring rings / x (estimated age)

    X = 810 years

Accounting for likely faster growth in the tree's earlier growing years (in the currently hollow inner section of the tree), we are estimating this tree at over 600 years old.  Plaque #75

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A few minutes paddle futher north on Bayou Tortue from the oldest known cypress in St Mary Parish

is located on the eastern side of the bayou. A bit smaller than the Lafayette Parish landmarked cypress just upstream, it is nonetheless worthy of LPCL landmark status based on its projected age, as determined here:

Measured circumference: 15'6"   radius: 29"

Estimated trunk circumference above buttress: 14   radius 27"

Boring: 13.25 inches  Rings counted: approximately 267

Age calculation:

    13.25 inch boring / 27 inch radius = 267 estimated boring rings / x (estimated age)

    X = 536 years

Accounting, as usual, for likely faster growth in the tree's earlier growing years (rings further apart than thiose found on the boring) we are estimation the age of this tree at over 400 years old. Plaque #76

Below is a short video of this cypress

We should note that we are long overdue to visit a cypress near Duck Lake northwest of Morgan Cityin St. Mary Parish

that we are told has a 31' circumference. This could easily be an older cypress than the one landmarked on Bayou Tortue

                                    

Ancient Lasalle Parish cypress landmarked on Big Saline Bayou, LaSalle Parish

This beautiful old cypress on Big Saline Bayou surpasses in age by several centuries the previously land marked LaSalle Parish cypress near the shore of Lake Catahoula which we landmarked with Plaque 74  in 20  (see Blog entry for LaSalle Parish, Dec 11. 2019 ) . We are always on the lookout in Parishes that already have LPCl landmarked cypress for additional cypress that may be older/larger in circumference,  in addition to those Parishes for which we have yet to discover cypress that were "Alive in 1803"-- see list at end of this blog post.

Here is how we estimated the age of this  Big Saline Bayou Beauty:

Circumference: 15' 2", Daimeter: 58", Radius:29"

Boring: 9.25 inches. Rings counted: Approx 293

    9.25 inch boring / 21 inch radius = 293 rings / x

    X = 918 projected rings

Accounting for likely faster growing period at during this tree's younger years (inner section of tree that is hollow) we are estimating this tree at over 700 years old.  LPCL Plaque # 74

Location is on right bank of Big Saline Bayou,  a few minutes paddle upstream of the Paul St. Bridge put-in, at the entrance into the Dewey Wills Wildlife Management Area.

GPS coordinates: N31 24.004 W92 08.452

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Where is the oldest cypress in your Parish?

As mentioned above, we are attempting to find at least one tree in each Louisiana Parish that was alive at the time of the Louisiana Parish in 1803. Click here for a link to a current registry of the Parishes for which LPCL landmarked trees have been identified (St. Mary Parish registered trees and Lafayette Parish trees to be added shortly). As of February, 2022 about two thirds of all Louisiana Parishes have at least one registered LPCL cypress-- "Alive in 1803"

Here are the Parishes for which we are still seeking to identify and landmark a 219+ year old cypress:

Allen, Beauregard, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Claiborne, E. Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lincoln, Madison, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Red River, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Helena, Vermillion, Vernon, W Baton Rouge, West Carrol

Please contact Harvey Stern at LaPurchase CypressLegacy@gmail.com with any leads. And to help pay for the plaques that are on many of our landmarked cypress throughout Louisiana, we welcome any donations to the La. Purchase Cypress Legacy-- a 501 C-3 non-profit organization. Checks can be made payable to the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy and mailed to Harvey Stern, 740 7th St., New Orleans La 70115