New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans City Park Old Grove
New Orleans’ City Park is not an arboretum in the strictest sense, but there are approximately 20,000 trees here and the Park’s truly impressive Old Grove has mature Live Oaks thought to be the oldest in the world.
The Anseman Oak and McDonogh Oak are between 600 and 900 years old. In all, there are 10 varieties of oak trees, including Live Oak, Cherrybark, Cow, Nutall, Overcup, Post, Shumard, Water, White, and Willow. Live Oaks are known for their distinctive sculptural shape, with some of the oldest trees having limbs that are twice as long as the oak is tall.
Inside the park, you’ll also find bald cypress, magnolia, slash pine and sweet gum.
Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, 95 percent of City Park was covered in floodwaters for weeks, inflicting $43 million in damages to the park alone and the park lost approximately 2,000 trees. However, more than 5,000 trees in the past several years.
Did you know?
“The average person consumes about 386 pounds of oxygen per year. The average, healthy tree (say, a 32-foot ash tree) can produce about 260 pounds of oxygen annually. Two trees supply the oxygen needs of one person every year.”
“Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut that held its ground.” – Anonymous
What’s Special
Located in the Casino Building on Dreyfous Avenue, Morning Call serves café au lait and beignets 24 hours a day, along with jambalaya and gumbo, ice cream and other treats.
Visiting
1 Palm Drive
New Orleans, LA 70124
504.482.4888