As covered in previous installments, we have a serious problem with our post oaks (Quercus stellata). In that blog post, we looked at an example right outside Mickle Hall, on the edge of the arboretum. With help from Centenary's archivist Mr. Chris Brown, we can see that tree in historical photos, showing that the tree was already close to its current height in the late 1940s.
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| Pictured above, we have three photos that feature our post oak. On the left, we have a picture of Mickle Hall under construction, dated 1948, courtesy of the Centenary College of Louisiana Archives. The center photo is dated 1950, also available to us from the Archives. Both historical photos show us that our post oak was already mature when Mickle Hall was built. The contractors built this massive structure around the trees, rather than clear-cutting the site. Impressive! The post oaks probably didn't appreciate the root disturbance necessitated by construction; however, this post oak was able to live another 70 years. The photo on the right shows the current state of the tree, pictured September 2021. |
The condition of this tree has not improved since our July blog post; it appears to be "going the way of all flesh."
As noted in the previous post, this tree never leafed out properly. Now at the onset of fall, its leaves have been some of the first to shrivel and brown. Healthy post oaks still have rich waxy green leaves at this time of year.
