News Release Distributed 09/10/15

BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden dedicated the second of five markers on the Louisiana segment of the Bartram Trail on Sept. 9.

The ceremony celebrated the naturalist William Bartram and his documentation of the native flora, fauna and culture of the Deep South in his book “Bartram’s Travels,” said Jeff Kuehny, resident director of the Botanic Gardens.

“I think the Burden family would be proud to have this site selected for this recognition,” Kuehny said. “The Burden family left this tract of 440 acres to LSU and the Baton Rouge community to remain a green space celebrating nature and the environment.”

The Bartram Trail follows the approximate route of 18th-century naturalist William Bartram’s travels in what is now the southeast United States from March 1773 to January 1777. His explorations included a brief foray into Louisiana.

The marker at the Botanic Gardens at Burden reads: “In 1775, Bartram noted an ‘arborescent aromatic vine’ and ‘a new and beautiful species of verbena’ growing near here.”

“The arborescent vine may have been honeysuckle, but we don’t know for sure,” Kuehny said.

In past centuries, patrons funded plant discovery expeditions, said LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill.

“Today, gardeners provide the demand and economic potential for new plants,” Gill said. “Beautiful exotic animals mostly end up in zoos, but beautiful exotic plants may end up in our landscapes or on our windowsills.”

The Louisiana commemoration of the 240th anniversary of Bartram’s visit to Louisiana is sponsored by the Friends of Hilltop Arboretum in cooperation with the Bartram Trail Conference. Five markers are located at sites he visited in the state, and each features a quote from his book.

The Burden Horticulture Society provided funds for the marker and activities at Burden.