A Tale of Two Cypress

A Tale of Two Cypress on Bayou De L’Outre and Lake Bruin – Roughly the Same Size but Many Centuries Apart in Age

As we enter our 23rd year of identifying cypress in Louisiana alive at the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, we’re still finding unexpected surprises around every corner and down many bayous. Most recently, in November 2025, was the discovery in Union and Tensas Parishes of two grand old cypress nearly identical in trunk circumference–13’10”-- but approaching nearly a thousand year age difference, based on boring ring counts from each tree. First, the Bayou de Loutre cypress (the “Barmore Cypress”-- named after Steve Barmore, leaseholder of the land along Bayou De Loutre who brought us to the tree): a beautiful 16.75 inch long coring that disclosed it’s likely age at well over 950 years–much older than similarly sized cypress (based on circumference/ diameter) that we’ve dated throughout Louisiana.

        Surprising for reverse reasons is the ring count from a boring from  a nearly identically sized (13’10” circumference) cypress inside Lake Bruin State Park, near the entrance. This stately cypress appears to be 130-140 years old, based on widely spaced (i.e. rapid growth) growth rings. The data on these trees and the borings pictured below tell the story...

Lake Bruin State Park Cypress, Tensas Parish GPS: N31 57.662  W091 12.001 Circumference: 13’ 10” Boring length:    9.5” Rings counted   approx. 48 Approx. projected age:  130 years

Barmore cypress, Bayou de L’Outre , Union Parish GPS: N32 50.892  W092 09.716 Circumference: 13’ 10” Boring length: 16.75” Rings counted: average 40+ per inch– 630+ total Approx. projected age:  950+ years Awarded LPCL Plaque #98 ….

Lake Bruin State Park cypress boring:

Bayou De Loutre (Barmore)cypress boring:

Bayou De L’Outre in Union Parish is a treasure trove of old growth cypress (see below for the poem and photo of the amazing “Big Foote” tree on Bayou DeL’Outre upstream from the “Barmore cypress described here). (Our  January 18th 2024 Blog entry on Union Parish ancient cypress includes the Big Foote). There are many  likely centuries old cypress in the vicinity of the Barmore cypress. When water levels permit, paddling along Bayou de L”Outre in the vicinity of the Barmore tree is possible from an accessible launch area at the Bayou de L’Outre bridge on Hwy 33

Bayou de L'Outre near the Hwy 33 access northeast of Farmerville

 The area near the site of the Barmore tree is proving to be exceptional in its archeological discoveries of ancient indigenous artifacts– possibly extant during the early life of the Barmore tree. ( Since the Barmore cypress is on private property, please Email Harvey Stern at LaPurchaseCypressLegacy@gmail.com for contact information regarding access to this tree)

Vicinity of Barmore cypress on Bayou deL"Outre

More accessible and easily as visually impressive as the Barmore tree on Bayou De’Loutre is the lake Bruin tree, Located near the Lake Bruin State Park boat ramp among a grove of likely similarly aged cypress dating to around 1900 these cypress will hopefully receive the same recognition and stewardship that all mature cypress deserve.

Lake Bruin tree on left near boat ramp

Obtaining boring from Lake Bruin tree

The unexpected centuries old difference in age between these similarly sized cypress may be explained by growing  conditions, hydrology, nutrient access. Adding to the puzzling relation between circumference and rate of growth in cypress is the 20  LPCL determination of a six foot circumference cypress in Lake Bruin that was determined to be about 200 years old (See Dec 6, 2017 Blog entry ). Cypress dendrochronologists and ecologists may be able to account for these seeming anomalies; for us at the LPCL these “sweet mysteries” of cypress aging can only inspire appreciation and ongoing support for their protection.

As we mentioned earlier, Bayou DeL’Outre in Union Parish has been a rich source of centuries old cypress.Stefanie Antely Herrmann, who has been at the forefront of promoting and protecting the natural heritage of Union Parish, has poetically captured her reverence for the largest and oldest known cypress (“Big Foote”)  on Bayou de L”Outre in her poem, “The Secrets of the Cypress* (from Swamp Sunshine: Celebrating the Wild Adventure of Life, 2023)

The "Big Foote" cypress