As long as LSU has been in Baton Rouge, the live oaks across campus have played a part in creating campus beauty.
An oak tree in front of the Journalism building is more than 200 years old. Most of the oaks on campus were planted around 1930, making them at least 70 years old.
Landscape architecture firm The Olmstead Brothers, who designed the campus in its current location, was very interested in preserving trees already on the land. The firm made it a point to build around those trees, as well as save space to plant more, according to Paul Hoffman, history professor, who is working on a book detailing the University’s history.
The Olmsteads did not plant these trees though. In the 1930s, Steele Burden planted many of the oaks on campus. “The idea for trees lining the main boulevard, such as Highland Road, was originally the Olmsteads’ idea,” Hoffman said.
“The oak trees, with their arching limbs, reflect the Italian Renaissance design of the buildings,” said Fred Fellner, landscape developer of Facility Services.
Oak trees also provide an invaluable service to the campus by heating and cooling buildings. In the summertime, the oaks block direct sunlight from hitting the buildings. “This shade can actually lower a building’s surface temperature by as much as 20 degrees,” Fellner said. This means they stay cooler, and less money is spent on air conditioning. During the winter, the oaks, which keep their leaves year-round, block cold winds from reaching buildings, allowing them to stay warmer.
English and religion freshman Scott Manning says, “I like the shade when it gets really hot most of the year.” He is right, as the temperature is much lower underneath an oak.
However, the shade is not the only thing trees provide. According to Fellner, the ground underneath the trees is significantly cooler. He also said the air flow beneath the trees makes a cooling breeze.
Though oak trees have been around so long and weathered so much, the problems for them continue today. Fellner said the biggest problem trees have is trying to spread their roots. As they grow, trees need more nutrients, so they grow roots further out. The problem comes when concrete and other tree roots are in the way.
Another problem that has recently come up are the droughts. “Over the past couple of years, the lack of rain has begun to take its toll on the trees,” Fellner said.
To combat problems facing the oaks, campus organizations are taking actions. Every year, Facility Services plants about 20 new oak trees around campus.
The Save the Oaks campaign also helped the trees’ condition. “A lot of the money from that campaign goes to buying hardwood mulch for the trees,” Fellner said. The awareness that people now have for the trees’ vulnerability will help in the continued efforts to preserve them.
“It is really a concerted effort in saving these trees,” Fellner said, as he touted the efforts of the “first-class arbor crew we have here on campus.”
The oak trees are also worth preserving for their monetary value. A study Facility Services Manager Phil Thompson recently conducted shows the trees are worth between $39-40 million. Thompson was not available for comment on his study.
In February, the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service Natural Resource division will hold a shade-tree care seminar in Knapp Hall, according to Hallie Dozier, event director.
Fellner will be one of the presenters featured at this seminar, which through the Office of Distance Learning will be broadcast to eight other Agriculture Center sites in Louisiana.
While this seminar is primarily for agents of the Ag Center, it is open to the public. It will take place Feb. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.