Oldest Known Cypress in East Baton Rouge Parish Identified

Although heavily urbanized, patches of East Baton Rouge  Parish contain remnants of Louisiana's natural heritage. This includes Bayou Fountain, included in the Atchafalaya Water Heritage Trail   --the likely nursing ground for the grand old cypress recently landmarked by the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy. According to the Bayou Fountain Historical Marker,

 "Bayou Fountain was once connected to the Mississippi River when springtime flooding flowed over the natural levees just below downtown Baton Rouge, entering the swamps to the east of the river."  Likely dating back to late 18th century, this Baton Rouge cypress  thrived in its early years , probably from the nutrients in the ebb and flow from this ancient Mississippi River distributary. Although the cypress is now located in the rear yard of a residence on Highland Rd in Baton Rouge, its long ago connection to Fountain Bayou likely helped germinate the fine old specimen seen in the photos below.

Ancient Cypress Landmarked in St. James Parish

 The Louisiana Purchase Cypress legacy campaign is pleased to announce that a truly ancient cypress has been landmarked with LPCL Plaque #71 ("Alive in 1803") along the Blind River in St. James Parish. This tree is among the  oldest identified in our state-wide effort to identify the largest/oldest  cypress in each Parish.

Tree is right of center

Here are the details:

Location: 30 06.120N   90 43.625W, about a ten minute paddle upstream from the Hwy 61 boat launch on the blind river. Tree is located in the State’s Maurepas Wildlife  Management Area

in divi

Circumference: 14’3”,  Diameter:  4’ 6”

Ist boring : 3 inches--  approximately 120 rings  counted

            3 (inch boring) / 27 (inch radius) = 120 (rings counted) / x (projected rings)

            x = 1080 projected rings

2^nd boring:  2.5 inches—approximately 104 rings counted

            2.5/ 27 = 104 / x

            x = 1123 projected rings

 

Closely spaced rings (lines on boring) indicate very slow growth

To account for the likely faster growth rate during the tree’s early years (not evident in the boring samples, which are from the outer section of the trunk) the projected age is considrably less than counted rings would indicate.

Projected age of this tree is conservatively estimated at 850+ years.  

This venerable cypress and the many other grizzled old cypress in the vicinity of this one have survived countless lightning storms, hurricanes – and, yes, plagues and pandemics—a reminder that our irreplacable  natural heritage in Louisiana is resilient and life-affirming.

Richland, Grant and La Salle Parishes added to La. Purchase Cypress Legacy Registry

Centuries old trees discovered in three new parishes

We are happy to announce that three new Parishes have been added to the LPCL Registry of Parishes containing cypress living at the time of the Louisiana Purchase-- "Alive in 1803".

Thanks to former residents of Richland Parish near Rayville, we have identified two centuries old trees on the Boeuf River north of Rayville that have been added to the registry.

Trees are located on Boeuf river north of Rayvill

            Richland Parish N32 30.316  W91 43.055

       Plaque #69  Circumference Measured at 16’9” at 6ft. from base. Trunk approx. 15’9” circum.

      

        Bore 1—3.75 inches ==95 rings counted

              3.75” bore/ 30” radius = 95 rings/x

              X=760  projected years

Bore 2—9.75 inches—119 rings counted

       9.75”bore/ 30” inches = 119/x

       X= 366 projected years

Estimated age: 325 + years

Note very closely spaced rings on Bore 1, Boeuf River cypress boring, Richland Parish

Grant Parish

Thanks to Michael Weeks for a tip on Valentine Bayou near Colfax, where a good number of older growth cypress are located. Two at least, shown below, are Cypress Legacy trees. The cypress awarded Plaque #70 (photo below)will be entered in the LPCL Registry

Plaque #70  12’4” circumference

Bore 10”—115 rings counted

10”bore / 24” radius = 115 rings / x

       X = 273 projected rings

       Estimated age 220+ years

Boring from Valentine Bayou, Grant Parish tree  (Plaque #70) shown above

N31 32.887 W92 41.040  (Trident tree)

Mature cypress on Valentine Bayou

Location of "Trident Cypress" Landmarked tree (Plaque 70) is between Trident cypress and bridge (kayak/canoe access) crossing at Lemoine Cutoff Road. about a five minute paddle upstream.

    LaSalle Parish

Thanks to George Castille for pointing the way to several potential old growth Cypress locations in LaSalle Parish. Easily accessible is a grove old old growth cypress along the Catahoula Lake shore near the boat launch off Hwy 28 

 Plaque #31 Trunk 14’4” circum.

N91 30.565  W92 05.217

       Bore: 8.25”—118 rings counted       

8.25” bore/ 27” radius = 118/x

       x= 386 projected rings
Projected age: 325+ years

Closely spaced rings reflect slow growth and old age for this 325+ year old cypress (Plaque 31)

Location of LPCL landmarked cypress  (Plaque 31) near Catahoula Lake Boat Launch, Dewey Wills WMA

Exposed roots of mature cypress along Caatahoula lakeshore, Lasalle Parish

Fall color along Big Saline Bayou

Plentiful mature growth cypress along Big Saline Bayou, which connects Catahoula Lake to Saline Lake. Access is from Paul Rd bridge over Big Saline bayou, via La. State Route 1206

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 The upcoming January 2020 blog entry will include recently landmarked old growth cypress in St, Tammany and East Baton Rough Parishes. I am grateful for the many individuals, including those mentioned above, who have generously disclosed, and often accompanied me to, old growth cypress hide-aways during the past seventeen years . The many benefactors and stewards of these trees that have endured through the centuries have contributed immeasurably to preserving and promoting Louisiana's natural heritage.

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