Family Aceraceae
Swamp Red Maple (Acer rubrum drummondii) - one of the most populous species within the nearby Atchafalaya Basin. Within the climax-stage floodplain forest here at Acadiana Park, however, this secondary successional species can barely find a place, and is mostly limited to brighter forest edges.
Family Anacardiaceae
Dwarf or Shining Sumac (Rhus copallinum) - occurs on woodland edges up on the prairie terrace. This small tree possesses the brightest (red) fall color of any of our native south Louisiana species. Its terminal clusters of small, sour fruits provide winter food for hermit thrushes and others.
Family Aquifoliaceae
Deciduous Holly (Ilex decidua) - occurs as a fairly common understory shrub in the floodplain forest here - even though it much prefers more open, sunny locales. During the winter months, it is easily identified by its ash-gray, leafless branches which are chock full of red holly berries (on female plants only).
Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) - is sparsely present within all three major habitat divisions: prairie terrace, escarpment, and floodplain forest. This small, evergreen tree possesses thick, tiny, oval leaves. Females produce multitudes of small, transluscent-red fruits during the winter months. Here, the few specimens of this holly undoubtedly originated through songbirds (droppings).
Family Arecaceae (Palmae)
Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor) - is the only true native shrub inhabiting the floodplain forest here. Its spikey, fan-shaped, evergreen foliage causes it to stand out amongst the thickets of exotic Chinese privet which occupies the same habitat. Black, shiny palmetto fruits are produced on long spikes, and serve as a primary source of winter nutrition for birds and mammals alike. Attakapas and other south Louisiana indian tribes used these tough palmetto leaves as a covering for their huts.
Family Asteraceae
Groundsel Bush (Baccharis halimifolia) cajun=Manglier (mong-lee-AY) - occurs in sunny margins up on the prairie terrace only. Leaves of this large shrub were used medicinally by early Cajun settlers, who called it "manglier" During the winter months, warblers, kinglets, and gnatcatchers can often be seen on this evergreen shrub, picking off scale-type insects that infest the bark.
Family Berberidaceae
Nandina "Heavenly Bamboo" (Nandina domestica) - occurs on woodland edges up on the prairie terrace. This small tree possesses the brightest (red) fall color of any of our native south Louisiana species. Its terminal clusters of small, sour fruits provide winter food for hermit thrushes and othersis very sparingly present within the floodplain forest. Surely, this exotic shrub arrived here via songbird dispersal from neighboring suburbia, where it is commonly planted as an ornamental.
Family Caprifoliaceae
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) - occurs ubiquitously throughout the park. Fruits from this small tree serves as an important summer/fall food source for migrating and wintering birds and mammals. Its fragrant, white bloom clusters can be dipped in batter and deep-fried into "fritters". Likewise, its fruits were often used for wine and preserves. All other parts of the plant are toxic.
Family Clusiaceae
St. Andrew's Cross (Hypericum hypericoides) cajun=L'herb a Chien (LOB-ah-she-an) - Occurs along woodland edges on the escarpment and prairie terrace. This small shrub produces small, 4-petaled, yellow blooms throughout the summer months. Called "l'herb a chien" by Cajuns, it was once used medicinally.
Family Cornaceae
Rough-leaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii) - Also known as "swamp dogwood", this small, sun-loving tree most often occurs along sunnier woodland edges throughout the park. Ecologically, rough-leaved dogwood replaces the showier and better-known flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) in wetter, more alluvial habitats such as Acadiana Park and the Atchafalaya Basin. As is the case with flowering dogwood, rough-leaved dogwood fruits are exceedingly nutritious to fall-migrating birds - so much so that we rarely find any fruit left on the trees by late October!
Family Cupressaceae
Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Family Ebenaceae
American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) cajun=Plaquemine (plock-MEAN) - can and does occur within all local habitats. Fruits of this tree are eagerly sought by birds and mammals alike. We've even noted Ruby-throated Hummingbirds sipping nectar from holes made in the fruit by Blue Jays. Persimmon leaves are high in vitamin C, so much so that a tea was once made from them.
Family Euphorbiaceae
Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum) - an extremely weedy exotic tree which plagues dozens of habitats in Louisiana and other gulf coastal states. On the plus side, since 1995 we've recorded over 30 species of wintering birds using the fruits of this tree.
Family Fabaceae
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triocanthos) - is sparingly distributed within the floodplain forest here. Known primarily by the gargantuan thorns which adorn its trunk and branches, honey locust foliage harbors a tiny species of larval moth (worm) during the spring months, which causes migrating vireos, warblers and others to flock to this tree during that time.
Family Fagaceae
Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda) - Once considered a subspecies of the southern red oak (Quercus falcata), the cherrybark oak is abundantly found along the edge of the escarpment here. When turned upside down, its notched leaf resembles an Oriental pagoda; thus the botanic name.
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata) - A few specimens reside down in the floodplain forest. With its characteristic acorn cup (which envelopes the entire acorn), and wonderful fall/winter foliage color (a mix of reds, oranges, yellows, and greens) the overcup is probably our most handsome oak.
Water Oak(Quercus nigra) - is the most abundant tree species within the park, occupying all 3 major habitats here. Its propensity to "hollow out" at a relatively young age, together with its normally copious acorn crop make it a very valuable species for birds and mammals alike.
Swamp Chestnut Oak(Quercus michauxii) - is restricted to the escarpment and the natural levee of nearby Bayou Vermilion. Its fancily scalloped leaves, large acorns, and dramatic crimson fall foliage color make it a favorite of both humans and animals. Cattle also much appreciate its large nuts, and people still use its wood for basket making here. Thus comes two additional colloquial names: "cow oak" and "basket oak".
Coast Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) - Called "chene vert" ("green oak") by the Cajuns, this is the signature tree of south Louisiana as well as the entire Gulf Rim. This large, squatty, evergreen oak harbors hundreds of species of animals and plants (such as resurrection fern and spanish moss) on a year round basis.
Family Hamamelidaceae
Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) cajun=Copal (co-PALL) - possesses star-shaped leaves, which make it easy to identify. Native Americans chewed the sweet inner bark of this species, thus providing it with its common name. Additionally, this species produces prickly, spherical, modified seed cones called "sweet gum balls" which are filled with tiny, nutritious seeds which squirrels, finches, and other animals relish. Sweet gum is found throughout all Acadiana Park habitats.
Family Hippocastaneaceae
Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) - is restricted to the escarpment forest only here at Acadiana Park. Its coral-colored, trumpet-shaped blooms appear in late March - just in time to supply nectar for spring-migrating Ruby-throated Hummingbirds - and persist through much of May.
Family Juglandaceae
Water Hickory (Carya aquatica) - is found abundantly within the floodplain forest, where it attains heights of up to 90'. Also known as "bitter pecan," water hickory foliage closely resembles that of its close cousin, pecan (Carya illinoiensis). Its smallish, flattened nuts supply food for wood ducks and other animals.
Coastal Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) - is an uncommon inhabitant of the escarpment and adjoining levee forest of Bayou Vermilion. Heavily used by the local fox squirrel population, this species also provides a fine source of brilliant orange-yellow fall foliage color.
Sweet Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) - occurs abundantly along the old prairie terrace and down into the escarpment forest here at Acadiana Park. Along the lower reaches of the escarpment, near where it joins with the floodplain, hybrid sweet/bitter pecan trees (Carya aquatica x illinoiensis) occur. During spring migration, sweet pecan catkins (flowers) prove extremely attractive as "bug hosts" for transient vireos, warblers, and orioles.
Family Lauraceae
Camphor Tree (Cinnamomum camphora) - is an exotic species which was once planted as an ornamental throughout southern Louisiana and the entire Gulf Rim. Those few specimens that remain here at the park were doubtlessly distributed via native songbirds such as American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, or Brown Thrashers - all of whom love the dark, shiny fruits. Look for the glossy, evergreen leaves of the camphor tree down where the escarpment meets the floodplain forest.
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) - is used for gumbo file' (crushed leaves) as well as a root tea. Moreover, birds especially appreciate the fruits which the female trees of this species produce - so much so, that is difficult to find sassafras fruits after August. Here at Acadiana Park, sassafras is much restricted to the well-drained woodland margins that border the prairie terrace.
Family Moraceae
Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) - is very uncommon here - a situation which we find quite strange, since this species is rather widely distributed throughout southern Louisiana, particularly within bottomland hardwood habitats. The few specimens that we've located at Acadiana Park do not seem to produce female flowers/fruits. Red mulberry is an exceedingly important food source for nesting Summer Tanagers and American Robins, as well as a large segment of neotropical migrants such as the thrushes, vireos, orioles, tanagers, and others.
Family Myricaceae
Southern Wax-Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) - is commonly present along the woodland margins of the prairie terrace. Its aromatic, evergreen foliage harbors local kinglets, gnatcatchers, and warblers during the winter months. Its small, waxy fruits are also utilized by Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Family Oleaceae
Green Ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica) - is a fairly common floodplain forest climax species. Its pinnately compound leaves often result in tree-watchers confusing it for a sweet pecan tree. Unlike the sweet pecan, though, green ash possesses densely furrowed bark (vs. loose, scaly plates on the pecan). The "keys" (paddle-shaped fruits) of female green ash trees are eaten by Cardinals, House Finches, and others.
Wax-leaf Ligustrum (Ligustrum lucidum/japonicum) - are bird-introduced Oriental species which are locally common within the escarpment forest. As with the camphor tree, these thick-leaved Ligustrum species were once planted as ornamentals throughout the Gulf Coastal region.
Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) - Like Chinese Tallow (Sapium sebiferum), Chinese Privet is extremely abundant and widespread in distribution, often displacing native shrubs and herbaceous plants in its wake. Its saving grace, though, is twofold: it produces juicy, apparently nutritious fruits for birds and mammals, and it provides evergreen cover for animals during winter months.
Family Platanaceae
American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) - is a huge, climax-type denizen of the floodplain forest. As with water oak (Quercus nigra), American sycamore has a propensity to hollow out at fairly young ages; thus providing valuable shelter for birds and mammals. Its small seeds are contained in spherical, modified cones - similar to those of the sweet gum (Liquidambar styriciflua).
Family Rosaceae
Green Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis) - is quite common along woodland edges, fence lines, and hedgerows within the bottomland hardwood areas throughout southern Louisiana. It can be identified by its small size (ca. 12-20'), thorny branches, and pale, exfoliating bark. As with all hawthorn species, green haw provides valuable winter food for American Robins and other thrushes.
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
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"
