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As one might expect, the woody plant population here at Acadiana Park is segregated into three distinct communities in accordance with the three major ecosystems which converge here. Up on the prairie terrace, the old coastal tallgrass prairie community is but a faint memory, being cleared for agricultural purposes back in the late 18th century. Along the steeply graded escarpment (actually, an old relict bank of the ancient Mississippi River), which possesses lighter, better-drained soils, trees such as winged elm, cherrybark oak, and sweet pecan, and shrubs such as red buckeye and American beautyberry occur. Forty-five feet down the face ofthe escarpment, the floodplain forest begins, and features American sycamore, American elm, baldcypress, hackberry, green ash, green hawthorn, bitter pecan, and dwarf palmetto. Then there are other species such as coast live oak, elderberry, water oak, and sweet gum, as well as "escaped"exotic species like Chinese tallow, Chinese privet, wax-leaf ligustrum, Japanese honeysuckle, and Japanese climbing fern which find homes throughout each community.
Family Aceraceae
Swamp Red Maple (Acer rubrum drummondii)
Family Anacardiaceae
Dwarf or Shining Sumac (Rhus copallinum)
Family Aquifoliaceae
Deciduous Holly (Ilex decidua) Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria)
Family Arecaceae(Palmae)
Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor)
Family Asteraceae
Groundsel Bush (Baccharis halimifolia); cajun=Manglier (mong-lee-AY)
Family Berberidaceae
Nandina "Heavenly Bamboo" (Nandina domestica); bird-introduced exotic
Family Caprifoliaceae
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Family Clusiaceae
St. Andrew's Cross (Hypericum hypericoides); cajun=L'herb a Chien (LOB-ah-she-an)
Family Cornaceae
Rough-leaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)
Family Ebenaceae
American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana); cajun=Plaquemine (plock-MEAN)
Family Euphorbiaceae
Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum); bird-introduced exotic
Family Fabaceae
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triocanthos)
Family Fagaceae
Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
Water Oak(Quercus nigra)
Swamp Chestnut Oak(Quercus michauxii)
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Family Hamamelidaceae
Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) cajun=Copal (co-PALL)
Family Hippocastaneaceae
Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
Family Juglandaceae
Water Hickory (Carya aquatica)
Coastal Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra)
Sweet Pecan (Carya illinoiensis)
Family Lauraceae
Camphor Tree (Cinnamomum camphora); bird-introduced exotic
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Family Moraceae
Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)
Family Myricaceae
Southern Wax-Myrtle(Myrica cerifera)
Family Oleaceae
Green Ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica)
Wax-leaf Ligustrum (Ligustrum lucidum/japonicum); bird-introduced exotic
Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense); bird-introduced exotic
Family Platanaceae
American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Family Rosaceae
Green Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis)
Carolina Cherry-laurel (Prunus caroliniana)
Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana)
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Chickasaw Rose (Rosa bracteata); bird-introduced exotic
Blackberry (Rubus sp.); species undetermined
Dewberry (Rubus sp.); species undetermined
Family Rubiaceae
Button Bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Family Salicaceae
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Family Styracaceae
Two-winged Silverbell (Halesia diptera); one individual, introduced; mode undetermined
Family Ulmaceae
Hackberry (Sugarberry)(Celtis laevigata)
Water Elm(Planera aquatica)
Winged Elm(Ulmus alata)
American Elm (Ulmus americana)
Family Verbenaceae
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana); aka "French Mulberry"
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