The Live Oak Society

As mentioned in my previous entry, the Live Oak Society was founded by Dr. Edwin Lewis Stephens in 1934. Dr. Stephens was the first president of Southwestern Louisiana Institute, which is now University of Louisiana at Lafayette, located in Lafayette, Louisiana. In January 1901, Dr. Stephens planted Live Oak seedlings on the campus. A few of them remain at the intersection of University Avenue and Johnston Street and are named the Century Oaks.

The Society began with 43 original members (trees) and now has in excess of 7,477 members. Members are located in 14 states and the Society operates under the Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. The by-laws of the Society only permit one human member, the chairman. The current chairman is Colleen Perilloux Landry. Her job is to register and record the Live Oak Society members.

Anyone can apply to have a tree registered. The Live Oak must have a girth of eight (8) feet at its waist. The "waist" is considered to be about four (4) feet above ground level. Any tree with a waist in excess of sixteen (16) feet is classified as a centenarian. Here is a link to the application to register a tree. Live Oak Society Tree Registration Form

The original president of the Live Oak Society was the Locke Breaux Oak. This tree was named after the Locke and Breaux families, who are descendants of the English philosopher, John Locke. The Locke Breaux oak was located in Taft, Louisiana. I say "was located" because unfortunately the tree was killed in the mid-1960s by air and groundwater pollution. The Colonial Dairy Farm was the original sponsor of this tree. With the discovery of oil in the region, the farm was sold to a chemical company, one of many that moved into the area following the shift from agriculture to industry.

Dr. Edwin Lewis Stephens, in an article he wrote for the Louisiana Conservation Review (April 1934), began his list of proposed trees for membership with a description of the Locke Breaux Oak:

“First on the list, and most outstanding timber of the highest rank in the Association, is the Locke Breaux Live Oak, on the right bank of the Mississippi River, four miles above Hahnville in St. Charles Parish…This is the largest live oak I ever saw.  Its girth four feet above the ground is 35 feet; its height about 75 feet; its spread 166 feet, when I measured it on January 22, 1932, in company with my friend, its owner, the late Samuel Locke Breaux of New Orleans.”

Ethelyn G. Orso’s Louisiana Live Oak Lore (published by  The Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana) indicates that:

“According to legend, in 1682 LaSalle and his band of explorers knelt beneath it to give thanks for their safe journey down the Mississippi River.  The Locke Breaux Oak was estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old.”

It is estimated that this beautiful tree was sprouted sometime in 1657. Its demise due to poisonous environmental factors is a pertinent message to our society. More must be done to protect these ancient elders, not just live oaks, but all animals and plants for future generations to marvel at their magnificence.

The current president of the Live Oak Society is the Seven Sisters Oak. The tree was named president in 1968. It was originally called Doby's Seven Sisters. It was renamed and registered. At registration, the girth was 36'1" and, in 2002, measured 38". The Seven Sisters Oak is recognized as the largest certified live oak tree and is estimated by foresters to be more than 1,200 years old. Seven Sisters Oak is recognized as Champion Oak of Louisiana by the Louisiana Forestry Association, honored as National Champion, and is believed to be the oldest North American live oak. While I have not had the pleasure of seeing this oak in person, it is definitely on my to-do list. It is #200 on the registry, located at 200 Fountain Street, Lewisburg, LA; two blocks from Lake Pontchartrain.

So, after reviewing the Live Oak Society website, my husband and I realized that there are several trees on the registry right around our area. Inspired by our friend, the Maestro, and armed with the information from the internet, we embarked on a quest to find some of these amazing trees.