Southeastern's Friendship Oak undergoing treatment
Monday, February 22, 2016 
by: Rene Abadie
FRIENDSHIP OAK UNDERGOES TREATMENT – A longtime symbol of Southeastern Louisiana University, Friendship Oak, is undergoing an extensive checkup and treatment plan designed to preserve it for years to come. The tree is listed as a member of the Live Oak Society of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation.
HAMMOND – Friendship Oak, the iconic symbol of Southeastern Louisiana University that
has graced the campus for its 90 years of existence, is undergoing an extensive checkup
and treatment plan intended to preserve it for years to come.
This month, the massive live oak tree – located at the North Oak Street entrance
end of Friendship Circle – is receiving tree preservation treatment to include pruning
of dead wood, fertilization, systemic insecticide applications and other work,” said
Carlos Doolittle, who supervises landscape, grounds and recycling at Southeastern.
The work is being handled by licensed arborists with Biggz Tree Care of Baton Rouge.
“In order to do some of this work, we needed to remove the decking that surrounded
the tree because it covered a crucial root area,” Doolittle said. “The decking will
not be replaced at this time. We’re also reminding visitors and others that climbing
on the tree or its ground-level branches is not allowed because doing so can cause
damage. ”
Friendship Oak is one of 23-named live oaks on the campus listed as members of
the Live Oak Society of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation. The tree has long been
a meeting area for students, especially in the earlier years of the Southeastern’s
history when it was near the original student union and before that when its branches
sheltered the “pop stand” where students could get cold drinks and snacks. A long-held
tradition claims that couples who kiss under the tree are destined to marry.
Doolittle said trees on campus are continually assessed for tree health and campus
safety, which sometimes results in the removal of those that are declining or posing
a safety hazard.
He added that Southeastern continues to actively plant trees to maintain the traditional
beauty of the campus. In the Student Union Park and nearby landscapes, 46 new shade
trees and 20 ornamental landscape trees will soon be planted, thanks in part to a
grant from the Student Government Association.
