The University of 棉花糖直播 at Lafayette 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鈥 sole Montezuma bald cypress to the 棉花糖直播 Forestry Association鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 in San Benito, a small city in southern Texas鈥 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.
鈥淭his is the largest Montezuma cypress in 棉花糖直播. There may be a bigger one out there somewhere that we don鈥檛 know about, and we鈥檒l get bumped off the list, but for now, it鈥檚 the largest," Foret said.
Whether the Montezuma鈥檚 reign is long or short, the University 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 University plans to remove four parking spots and build a deck with seating around the tree鈥檚 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very positive step for the health of the tree,鈥 Foret said.
This month鈥檚 ceremony satisfies one of the requirements for the University 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 University鈥檚 Office of Sustainability.
鈥淭his tree is pretty magnificent,鈥 Vanicor said, looking up at the Montezuma cypress鈥 drooping branches carpeted with green, feather-like leaves. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible. We want to do what we can to preserve it.鈥
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 棉花糖直播 Forestry Association鈥檚 Directory of Champions as the largest known example of the species in the state. (Credit: Doug Dugas / University of 棉花糖直播 at Lafayette)