The 小蝌蚪APP campus is home to more than 2,000 trees and large shrubs. Earlier this month, one was declared a champion.
About 40 students, faculty and staff attended a brief ceremony Nov. 16 celebrating the addition of the campus小蝌蚪APP sole Montezuma bald cypress to the Louisiana Forestry Association小蝌蚪APP檚 Directory of Champions. The association judges native and naturalized trees on their height, circumference and crown spread to determine which make the championship cut.
UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Montezuma cypress will join the list in 2018. It stands 60 feet, and has a circumference of 16 feet. Its branches spread 80 feet. By comparison, the largest Montezuma cypress in the United States is 70 feet tall and 28 feet in circumference, and spreads 90 feet. It小蝌蚪APP檚 in San Benito, a small city in southern Texas小蝌蚪APP Rio Grande Valley.
Unlike the bald cypress, the Montezuma cypress is evergreen and does not produce knees above its root system, said James Foret, an instructor in the School of Geosciences.
小蝌蚪APP淭his is the largest Montezuma cypress in Louisiana. There may be a bigger one out there somewhere that we don小蝌蚪APP檛 know about, and we小蝌蚪APP檒l get bumped off the list, but for now, it小蝌蚪APP檚 the largest," Foret said.
Whether the Montezuma小蝌蚪APP檚 reign is long or short, the 小蝌蚪APP is planning royal accommodations.
The tree, which is behind Billeaud Hall, is boxed in by a parking lot, a greenhouse and a maintenance building. The 小蝌蚪APP plans to remove four parking spots and build a deck with seating around the tree小蝌蚪APP檚 base.
That will alleviate the pressure of concrete on its root system, and enable the cypress to receive more water, oxygen and nutrients to improve its long-term viability.
小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 a very positive step for the health of the tree,小蝌蚪APP Foret said.
This month小蝌蚪APP檚 ceremony satisfies one of the requirements for the 小蝌蚪APP to maintain its status as a Tree Campus USA. The Arbor Day Foundation coordinates the program, which recognizes colleges and universities for sound management of campus trees.
UL Lafayette has held the designation since 2010, said Gretchen Lacombe Vanicor, director of the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Office of Sustainability.
小蝌蚪APP淭his tree is pretty magnificent,小蝌蚪APP Vanicor said, looking up at the Montezuma cypress小蝌蚪APP drooping branches carpeted with green, feather-like leaves. 小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 incredible. We want to do what we can to preserve it.小蝌蚪APP
Photo caption: Members of the campus community gather Nov. 16 to honor UL Lafayette's sole Montezuma bald cypress. It's been added to the Louisiana Forestry Association小蝌蚪APP檚 Directory of Champions as the largest known example of the species in the state. (Credit: Doug Dugas / 小蝌蚪APP)