Possibly Largest/Oldest  St. James Parish Cypress

Discovered on Blind River 

N30 06.112 W090 43.629-- about a ten minute paddle upriver (north) from Hwy. 61 boat launch --right bank

St James Parish, heavily forested with cypress tupelo habitat, has until recently eluded recognition  of its remaining old growth cypress. A recent paddling foray on the Blind River , north of Hwy. 61,  (not visited for several decades) revealed a good number of old growth cypress near the Hwy. 61 launch.  The cypress pictured above appears to be the largest and possibly oldest so far discovered along the Blind River. Although we were not able to access the tree due to high water, its circumference appeared to be 16+ feet above the buttress, and the trunk retained much of this thickness up into the canopy—good signs of a very old cypress. We’ll update you on circumference measurements and tree boring sample ring counts  for this tree

Several other old growth cypress are visible within a short paddle from the Hwy 61 canoe launch. Old growth is also evident on the downstream (south ) side from the Hwy 61 bridge. 

Marker B: (See Photo above)

Old growth cypress on Blind River

Locations of old growth on Blind River near Boat launch:

N30 06.141 W090 43.598

N30 06.270 W090 43.277

N30 06.366 W090 43.429 (Tchackehou Bayou)

N30 06.385 W090 45.518 (downriver from Boat Launch)

N30 06.215 W090 45.427 (downriver from Boat Launch)

These old growth sites and likely other yet to be assessed locations on the Blind River bode well for including the Blind River in a registry of Old Growth Cypress paddle trails. If you know of other likely St. James Parish candidates for La Purchase Cypress Legacy landmarking, please let us know!

Inside Bayou Bodcau's  Treasure Chest of Ancient Cypress

This 39” diameter (above buttress) cypress on private land along Bayou Bodcau was landmarked by John Michael Kelley in 2018. John Michael, a resident of Boissier Parish, has been volunteering with the La. Purchase Cypress Legacy, avidly landmarking old growth cypress in the Bayou Bodcau vicinity, as well as finding old growth remnant forests in Northwest Louisiana for inclusion in the Old Growth Forest Network (https://www.oldgrowthforest.net/louisiana)

Based on a 9 inch coring and 39 inch diameter ( 10.2 feet  circumference above buttress), John Michael estimated 350 total rings to the hollowed out center and is  conservativley estimating the age at 275 + years. John Michael awarded this cypress LPCL Plaque # 67 ("Alive in 1803")

(While the adjacent tree was larger and older, it was also quite decayed.)

Local paddlers have taken notice of this landmarked cypress; as seen in the photos below the Bayou Bodcau  watershed is a treasure trove of remnant old growth cypress. Efforts are underwy to promote Bayou Bodcau as an old growth paddle trail

N 32.69295 W 93.54618 (center pin)     below  Bodcau dam   Plaque  #64

The "Zac Burson" Tree-- Plaque #26

    Location of N 32.70161 W 93.49205 above Bodcau Dam-- Bossier Parish

Zac Burson Tree (Plaque #26)--

Along the proposed Bodcau Bayou Old Growth Paddle route

Tickfaw State Park Cypress--"Grandma tree"-- Over 600 Years Old

"Grandma Tree"-- Tickfaw State Park
GPS: N30.22.958 W090.38.329

The most well known tree in Tickfaw State Park, near Springville in Livingston Parish-- the Grandma Tree-- has finally revealed her (approximate) age, thanks to a boring recently taken by the La Purchase Cypress Legacy campaign.

Here are the statistics

Circumference at Buttress: Approx. 20"10"

Trunk circumference above buttress: Approx. 15'5" (used for age determination)

Boring length: 7.75 inches

Rings counted: Approx. 187

187 rings / x = 7.75" boring / 30" trunk radius

x (total rings) = approx. 724

Projected age 600 + years

This projected age accounts for the likely faster tree growth at the beginning of it lifespan. Like most older cypress, much of the tree is hollow. Closely spaced rings seen in photo below indicate a very slow growing cypress, as is often the case with cypress of this size and in this setting. See the previous Dec 31, 2018 Blog post for a photo of the recently placed La Purchase Bicentennial Legacy Plaque placed near this majestic cypress, proclaiming "Alive in 1812". It appears the Grandma tree was already at least 400 years old at the time of Louisiana's statehood.

Grandma Tree Boring--Closely spaced rings above ruler show very slow yearly growth

A boring was also taken from a second cypress tree near the Tickfaw State Park Boat Launch in Gum Bayou. (Pictured also in previous blog post)

GPS: N30.22.714 , W090.30.140

Here's what we found:

Circumference at Buttress: Approx. 20"1"

Trunk circumference above buttress: Approx. 14' (used for age determination)

Boring length: 2.75 inches

Rings counted: Approx. 75

75 rings / x = 2.75" boring / 27" trunk radius

x (total projected rings) = approx. 736

Projected age 600 + years

Similar to the Grandma Tree (located off Canoe Launch Road near the campsite), this grand old cypress is projected to be over 600 years old. As seen in the bore photo below, this tree also is very slow growing-- faintly visible ringsabove the ruler  are very closely spaced.

boring of Gum Bayou Tree

Together with previously landmarked trees in Livingston Parish (see 6/17/17 and 6/23/17 Blog entries--Bayou Barbary and Amite River), these Tickfaw State Park trees are among the oldest known cypress in Livingston Parish. The Grandma Tree is easily accessible from Canoe Launch Road., and the Gum Bayou cypress is readily visible from canoe or kayak, as are several other large old cypress on Gum Bayou and the nearby Tickfaw, accessible form the Tickfaw State Park Boat launch.

City Park, New Orleans Cypress determined to be 170-190 years old

The large City Park cypress behind Grow Dat Youth Farm in City Park New Orleans, adjacent to the Frisbee gulf course (29.995883 N,  90.091117 W-- see map at previous Blog post) has been determined to be nearly two hundred years old—not old enough to qualify as a La Purchase Cypress Legacy tree—but certainly one of the oldest cypress in Orleans Parish. this area of the Park has several older cypress interspersed with large live oaks.

Here are the statistics:

Circumference: 11’11”

1^st boring:  8 inches, approx. 78 rings counted

2^nd boring: 6.2 inches, approx. 57 rings counted

Projected Age: 170-190 years old

This could well be the oldest known cypress in City Park and is currently the oldest known cypress in Orleans Parish with borings to verify estimated age. (The first commemorated La Purchase Cypress Legacy Tree, located in New Orleans at the residence located at Baronne and Robert Street did not have a boring taken)

“Grandma Tree” in Tickfaw Park commemorated with La Bicentennial Cypress Legacy Plaque : “Alive in 1812”

photo by Mike Weeks

This plaque, presented to Tickfaw State Park in 2012 by the LBCL campaign (a 2012 initiative that supplemented  the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy to  recognize  cypress trees alive in 1812, the year of Louisiana’s statehood) , was recently placed at the site of one of the oldest cypress trees in Livingston Parish. (Boring and estimated age forthcoming.) A boardwalk to the tree is located off the main road through the Park, just past the turnoff to the campsites (see map and coordinates below)

Tickfaw State Park contains several examples of large old cypress, some of which are  accessible from the Park's canoe launch, including that shown below.

                                                           courtesy of Amy Warner