Arboretum History

    The Centenary College Arboretum was established in the fall of 1984 through the Campus Improvement Committee, with the financial support of Mr. And Mrs. Harry Balcom and the guidance of Dr. Ed Leuck. The upper pond dam was constructed first, and the Arboretum initially spanned the west slope of the pond up to the brick wall near Mickle and Hamilton Halls. This location was chosen both for its prominent location and lack of any vegetation beyond the trees themselves. The first inhabitants were commercially-available species planted by Dr. Ed Leuck in the spring of 1985. New plants have been added each year since, largely from collected plants and seeds. Other plants have been recruited from the Caroline Dormon Nature Center in Bienville parish, local growers Jack and Ella Price, Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park, and Kisatchie National Forest. There are now over 300 species of labeled plants in the Arboretum.

     The Arboretum has undergone two expansions. In 1992, the southeast area near the old Haynes Gym was added. The drainage basin between the Student Union Building and Rotary Hall, and the lower pond were constructed in 1996. Adding vegetation to the drainage basins has slowed runoff and limited erosion of the clay hills.

     The existing canopy consists of the surviving trees from the time of Centenary's move to Shreveport in 1909; many of these are past maturity and in decline, and some have since died. The larger trees are at least 125 years old. These include white oak, southern red oak, loblolly pine, and post oak. The Arboretum area has lost several post oaks to oak wilt. The Arboretum plantings are intended to eventually replace these trees, while displaying the tremendous diversity of Louisiana and southeastern native species. Emphasis has been placed on trees and shrubs first. In the past five years, now that growth potential for larger specimens is clear, there has been an attempt to add a significant herbaceous under-story plant component. The Arboretum collection is intended to serve both an aesthetic purpose and an educational purpose for Centenary students and the Shreveport community alike.