Cane River National Heritage Area - Plants (U.S. National Park Service)

Cotton is grown in the Heritage Region, Photo by NPS

Cotton blooms,Photo by NPS

Vegetation

Louisiana boasts of having over one hundred and fifty species of trees that are native to the state. Other forms of vegetation such as vines, shrubs, and smaller plants grow in profusion. Of all of the trees in Louisiana the most amazing tree is the great live oaks usually draped in Spanish moss, making it a wonderfully, mysterious tree. This majestic tree is native to the costal areas of the state but also can grow quite well as far north as the Red River. Another sight to behold would be the cypress trees that are usually found in the marshes and swamp lands. Some of the cypress trees’ roots grow upward above the water line to obtain air for the tree and are referred to as cypress “knees.” The magnolia tree has long been associated with Louisiana and its many plantations. The sweet fragrance of the magnolia’s flowers often fills the humid climate of Louisiana.

Other species of trees, scrubs, and flowers are listed below (although this is not meant to be a complete list but a sampling of the different types of vegetation.)

*chinaberry (pride of China) *honeysuckle vines
*tallow tree *clematis
*banana    *spirea
*pecan tree *camellia
*bitter orange *azalea
*sweet olive    *crape myrtle
*palm    *jasmine
*camphor tree *hyacinth
*mimosa    *lilies
*irises

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