| Friends of the Louisiana State Arboretum

Featured Species: Throughout the trail system of the arboretum, you will find dozens of interpretive signs providing detailed information for featured species of special importance or interest. That information is gathered here for easy reference. Featured species are listed by common names, with shortcut navigation by alphabet letter. You may also use the search blank to search by either common name or scientific name.

A (7) | B (10) | C (4) | D (3) | E (4) | F (3) | G (2) | H (1) | I (1) | L (3) | M (2) | N (1) | P (5) | R (2) | S (13) | T (3) | V (2) | W (8) | Y (1)

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)

A large, deciduous, aquatic conifer with a swollen, ridged trunk at the base. The roots often send up cone-shaped knees surrounding the tree. Bald Cypress has a crown of widely spreading branches and red-brown to silver exfoliating bark.

Bigleaf Snowbell (Styrax grandifolius )

Small, round crowned tree with alternate, deciduous, large, oval leaves; smooth, dark gray bark; white, fragrant bell-shaped flowers and small, brown nutlet.

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)

This deciduous tree has alternate compound leaves with seven to eleven leaflets. The terminal buds of this tree are bright yellow.

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Leaves are alternate, deciduous with a lustrous dark green upper surface and red fuzzy hairs along the petiole underneath. The gray, white or red-brown bark is smooth with numerous short, narrow, horizontal slits when young; becomes very dark (nearly black) and blocky when mature.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Alternate, compound, deciduous leaves have as many as 12- 24 leaflets along the stout, light brown twig. Leaf is aromatic when crushed.

Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica)

Reliable early fall color and unusual horizontal branching distinguish a Blackgum from the oaks and elms that it may appear to be upon first inspection. Alternate, deciduous leaves are evenly spaced along the current year’s twig growth.

Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica)

Small tree with drooping, often crooked branches. It has alternate, deciduous, almost triangular leaves with 3 very large, square shaped, bristle tipped lobes.

Boxelder (Acer negundo)

Boxelder is a small to medium-sized tree with a short trunk, widely spreading branches and light green foliage. It has opposite, compound poison-ivy like leaves with three to seven leaflets. A hardy, fast-growing tree that can survive dry and extremely cold conditions.

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Large, fast growing tree that usually grows wider than it is tall. Deciduous, alternate leaves along the thick, sometimes winged twigs. Bark is pale gray and rugged, in long rectangular blocks.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

Shrub or small tree with opposite or whorled, deciduous leaves and smooth gray to brown bark that becomes furrowed as it ages.