Louisiana State Arboretum

Louisiana State Arboretum
Map of Louisiana, United States of America
Location Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States of America
Area 600 acres (2.4 km2; 0.94 sq mi)[1]
Established 1961 (1961)
Governing body Louisiana Office of State Parks
Official website

The Louisiana State Arboretum 600 acres (240 ha), is an arboretum located on Louisiana Highway 3042, approximately 13 km (eight miles) north of Ville Platte, Louisiana inside of Chicot State Park, USA, and bordering a branch of Lake Chicot. Established in 1961, it is the oldest state-supported arboretum in the United States.

Contents

History

Initial efforts to establish a Louisiana Arboretum in the 1950s were led by Caroline Dormon, A. G. Lawton, and J. D. Lafleur Sr.[2] The majority of these efforts were near Ville Platte and included Magnolia Garden Club, the Rotary Club, and the Chamber of Commerce.[2] In spring of 1961, the State Parks and Recreation Commission ordered the creation of the Louisiana State Arboretum.[2]

Attractions

The Arboretum contains over 150 species of plant life native to Louisiana, on a varied topography suitable for nearly all Louisiana vegetation except those of the prairies and coastal marshes. The Arboretum is a mature Beech-Magnolia forest containing centuries-old giant beech, magnolia, oak, and ash trees, as well as ferns, hickories, maples, sycamores, and crane fly orchids. Wildlife includes white-tail deer, fox, opossum, raccoon, skunk, squirrel, wild turkey, and numerous other bird species.

See also

References

  1. ^ Haberfeld, Caroline V. (1994-10-04). USA '95: The Complete Guide to the Best of Everything in All 50 States. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 426. ISBN 978-0679027690. 
  2. ^ a b c Peak, Myra F., ed. Louisiana Arboretum. Governor's Office of Federal Affairs and Special Projects.