Louisiana State Arboretum, Botanical garden and protected area in Ville Platte, United States.
The Louisiana State Arboretum is a botanical garden and protected area spanning 600 acres of natural forest with over 150 plant species. Ancient beech and magnolia trees form the backbone of its diverse woodland landscape.
The arboretum was established in 1961 as the first state-supported arboretum in the United States and the first in the South. This founding represented a turning point for nature conservation and botanical education in the region.
The J.D. LaFleur Nature Center provides educational exhibits about local plant and animal life found in Louisiana. Visitors can learn how the different ecosystems here support the variety of species living together.
Five miles of marked trails including the Walker Branch Trail and Backbone Ridge Trail allow visitors to explore the grounds on foot. Native wildlife can be observed throughout as you walk through different forest sections.
Many of the trees here are several centuries old, embodying a living record of forest growth and change over time. Notably, the grounds display nearly every vegetation type found in Louisiana except coastal marsh and prairie.
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