Native Trees of Louisiana

Louisiana

State Tree: Baldcypress

The Bayou State, 'Union, Justice, and Confidence'

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Native Trees of Louisiana

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Old Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, towers above and is laden with spanish moss

When most people think of Louisiana, they think swamps. They wouldn't be wrong but along with the famous swamp lands of this coastal state, there are rare prairie habitats, rolling hills, pine forests and spectacular beaches.
Perhaps the most iconic tree of Louisiana is the baldcypress. Also the official State Tree, baldcypress trees are found in wetlands of all types and are an important component of the forests. Those venturing near the water for world class fishing or hoping for a crawfish boil later, will undoubtedly

• Louisiana Native Trees A to Z

• Louisiana Tree Facts

• Louisiana Tree Families and Species

• Endangered/Threatened Species

• Tree Nurseries in Louisiana

pass by some of these native giants. Southern magnolias are also common throughout

Louisiana, so much so that their large white flowers are the State Flower. The rivers,

streams, lakes, bogs, and swamps give rise to diverse bottomland forests. Covering about

half the state, timber is one of the leading industries of Louisiana and is the number one crop.

The landscape of Louisiana has much to offer the nature lover. The adventurous type may

want to explore the the Atchafalaya Basin, which is the nation’s largest river swamp. Over

550,000 acres in size, the basin is actually larger than the Florida Everglades and contains

some of North America's most important cypress-tupelo swamps, bottomland forests, lakes

and waterways. Louisiana also offers the chance to see other rare or endangered

ecosystems such as coastal and calcareous prairies and hillside seepage bogs.

With such habitat diversity and plentiful bodies of water, Louisiana is also a mecca for bird

watchers. In fact, John James Audubon spent much of his time studying birds here.

Hundreds of native and migratory species of sea birds, waterfowl, woodpeckers, hawks, and

many more can be viewed. Agricultural and urban development has had a negative impact on

the bird populations as well as the forests. Many of the species are now endangered or

threatened due to habitat loss. There are 23 species of trees listed in Louisiana with element

ranking between S1 and S3, meaning rare or imperiled, and a few ecosystems listed as G1-

globally imperiled.

One of the few deciduous conifer species in the world, Taxodium distichum, or baldcypress, was made the State Tree of Louisiana in 1963.

Baldcypress on the Texas-Louisiana border.

See usage requirements.

may reach 100 to 130 feet in height. A long lived tree species, it is not uncommon to

find individuals over 500 years old in old growth forests. In the spring, before the new

leaves begin to bud, green 'flowers' bloom near twig tips, hanging in a tassel like

structure. Soon after, the small, alternate and yellowish green linear leaves appear.

Baldcypress are essential to southeastern wetland areas. They help reduce damage

from flooding, assist with riverbank erosion control, and remove pollutants and

sediments from the water.

Learn More

Louisiana Native Tree Facts

Forested acres: 14 million
Percent of total area forested: 50%
Predominant Forest Type: Oak-Gum-Cypress, Loblolly-Shortleaf Pine
Number of National Forests: 1
Number of State Parks: 22
Number of Tree city USA communities: 16
Number of invasive tree species: 14 (see state list for noxious/invasive plants)
Insects of Concern: Emerald Ash Borer, Southern Pine Beetle, Pine Engraver Beetle, Tent Catepillar
Pathogens of Concern: Dutch Elm Disease, Fusiform Rust (pines), Sudden Oak Death, Thousand Canker (walut)
Number or Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species: 23
Number of tree families in our collection: 37

Sources:
Arborday.org
US Forest Service
Louisiana Department of Forestry and Agriculture
Louisiana Secretary of State
United States Department Of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services: PLANTS Database

Additional state resources:
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Louisiana State Parks
LSU AgCenter: Research and Extension

Louisiana Native Tree Families and Genera

Useful information while browsing species:

• How to read a botanical name

• How to use our species boxes:

Additional Resources:

North American Native Tree Families
North American A to Z List by Scientific Name
North American A to Z List by Common Name

click to enlarge.

-Color denotes a tree that is rare or endangered

Please note: This is not a complete list of all native tree families and species found in Louisiana. We are constantly working towards a more comprehensive list and will add families and their species as completed.

Follow the links to view species native to Louisiana. If the genus is not linked, species are listed on the family page.

Aceraceae, Maple
Aquifoliaceae, Holly
Anacardiaceae, Sumac
    Rhus, Sumac
    Toxicodendron, Poison Sumac
Annonaceae, Custard-apple
Arecaceae, Palm
Betulaceae, Birch
    Betula, Birch
    Carpinus, Hornbeam
Corylus, Hazelnut
    Ostrya, Hophornbeam
Bignoniaceae, Trumpet Creeper
Caprifoliaceae, Honeysuckle
Cornaceae, Dogwood
    Cornus, Dogwood
    Nyssa, Tupelo
Cyrillaceae, Cyrilla
    Cliftonia, Cliftonia
Cupressaceae- Cypress
    Juniperus, Juniper
    Taxodium, Baldcypress

Ebenaceae, Ebony
    Diospyros, Persimmon
Ericaceae, Heath
Fabaceae, Pea
   Gleditsia, Locust
Fagaceae, Beech
    Quercus, Oak
Hamamelidaceae, Witch-hazel
Hippocastanaceae, Horse-chestnut
Juglandaceae, Walnut
    Carya, Hickory
    Juglans, Walnut
Lauraceae, Laurel
Magnoliaceae, Magnolia
Moraceae, Mulberry
Myricaceae, Bayberry
Oleaceae, Olive
    Fraxinus, Ash
Pinaceae, Pinus
    Pinus, Pine
Platanaceae, Plane-tree
    Platanus, Sycamore

Rhamnaceae, Buckthorn
Rosaceae, Rose
    Crataegus, Hawthorn
    Prunus, Plum/Cherry
Rubiaceae, Madder
Rutaceae, Rue
Salicaceae, Willow
    Populus, Cottonwood
    Salix, Willow
Sapindaceae, Soapberry
Sapotaceae, Sapodilla
Styracaceae, Storax
    Halesia, Silverbell
Symplocaceae, Sweetleaf
Tiliaceae, Lindon
    Tilia, Basswood
Ulmaceae, Elm
    Celtis, Hackberry
    Ulmus, Elm
Yucca, Yucca

especially vulnerable to extirpation.

• S2 = imperiled in Louisiana because of rarity (6 to 20 known

• S3 = rare and local throughout the state or found locally (even abundantly at some of its locations) in a restricted region of the state,

or because of other factors making it vulnerable to extirpation (21 to 100 known extant populations)

• S4 = apparently secure in Louisiana with many occurrences (100 to 1000 known extant populations)

• S5 = demonstrably secure in Louisiana (1000+ known extant populations)(B or N may be used as qualifier of numeric ranks and

indicating whether the occurrence is breeding or nonbreeding)

• SA = accidental in Louisiana, including species (usually birds or butterflies) recorded once or twice or only at great intervals

hundreds or even thousands of miles outside their usual range

• SH = of historical occurrence in Louisiana, but no recent records verified within the last 20 years; formerly part of the established

biota, possibly still persisting

• SR = reported from Louisiana, but without conclusive evidence to accept or reject the report

• SU = possibly in peril in Louisiana, but status uncertain; need more information

• SX = believed to be extirpated from Louisiana

• SZ = transient species in which no specific consistent area of occurrence is identifiable

Protected Status:

Endangered = Taking or harassment of these species is a violation of state and federal laws.

Threatened = Taking or harassment of these species is a violation of state and federal laws.

Threatened/Endangered = Taking or harassment of these species is a violation of state and federal laws.

Prohibited = Possession of these species is prohibited. No legal harvest or possession.

Restricted Harvest = There are restrictions regarding the taking and possession of these species.

Rare or otherwise classified tree species present in Louisiana:

S1 Species

Ilex myrtifolia, Myrtle Holly

Corylus americana, American Hazelnut

Cliftonia monophylla, Buckwheat tree

Cladrastis kentukea, Yellowwood

Castanea pumila var. ozarkensis, Ozark Chinquapin

Quercus imbricaria, Shingle Oak

Quercus laevis, Turkey Oak

Quercus macrocarpa, Burr Oak

Quercus oglethorpensis, Oglethorpe's Oak

Quercus sinuata var. sinuata, Durand’s White Oak

Lindera subcoriacea, Bog spicebush

Crataegus triflora, Three-flowered hawthorn

Zanthoxylum americanum, Northern Prickly Ash, Common Prickly Ash

Salix caroliniana, Coastal Plain Willow

Serenoa repens, Saw palmetto

Quercus rubra, Red Oak (S1S3)

Louisiana has two sets of plant classification or status.

Currently only the 'S' classifications have been assigned. The

classifications and their criteria are as follows:

Element Rankings:

• S1 = critically imperiled in Louisiana because of extreme rarity (5 or

fewer known extant populations) or because of some factors making it

Louisiana Endangered or Threatened Tree Species

Additional Resources:

North American Rare and Endangered Trees

External Links:
USDA PLANTS Database

Looking for a nursery near you?
Check out our nursery listing by county below!

Sorry, we do not currently have any tree nursery listings for this state. We do update these lists, so please check back.

treesforme.com Webutation

A firmaret radicem amittere possit foliis in vento et triturabis bacchatur durante tempestas, sed supersit quia est flexibilis. Talis est vita.

S2 Species
Carya pallida, Sand hickory
Ilex amelanchier, Sarvis Holly
Magnolia pyramidata, Pyramid Magnolia
Quercus arkansana, Arkansas Oak
Quercus coccinea, Scarlet Oak (S2S3)

S3 Species
Kalmia latifolia, Mountain Laurel

SH Species
Lindera melissifolia, Pondberry, southern spicebush

Taxodium distichum has needle like leaves.

Found across the state along

swamps, bayous, lakes, and

marshes, baldcypress are easily

identifiable by their buttressed

trunks, knobby knees, and

aptitude for growing with their

bases submerged. Along the

Louisiana-Texas border on Caddo

Lake, grows the largest

baldcypress forest remaining in

the world. The forest, half in

Louisiana and half in Texas, is

internationally protected and

houses some of the oldest bald-

cypress trees in North America.

The large trunks can grow 3 to 6

feet in diameter and mature trees

Tree lists:
•A-Z by scientific
name
•A-Z by common
name
•By Family

For state A-Z list click state name below.