By Mary K. Hamner
Journal Correspondent

I had long admired the tree and wondered as to its age and who planted it there. The crape myrtle on that late August day was crowned with red flowers, a flower carpet spread all around its feet, reflecting its beauty. The Ringgold tree is not your usual crape myrtle in that it has a solid trunk and not the multiple trunk cultivar with many trunks supporting its canopy. It stands out among other red crape myrtle trees. One located behind the former Scott's Pharmacy shows its flowers over the roof of the building. On close inspection, I found its red flowers supported by multiple trunks.

Acting on impulse, I stopped one day and went into the office of Rockett Funeral Home and began asking questions of Tyrette Madden and Larry Short who work there. Thus began a trail of sorts that extended into the history of Ringgold, LA and also into the State Champion Tree program.

Larry Short, Grandson of Otis Rockett who purchased the land the tree lives on, thinks it may have been planted in circa 1920. Ringgold native and historian, Dr. Phillip C. Cook confirms that Clyde Graves once owned the large lot now occupied by a supermarket, Rockett Funeral Home, and a large parking area. Graves built the home, now occupied by Larry Short and his family, landscaped the entire property, and marked its boundaries with hedges. L. C. Graves Company was established in a two story brick building on the corner, the first brick building in Ringgold.

"Graves was a leading business man," Dr. Cook said. "Small of stature, he dressed up for work, wearing coat and tie to work each day. He was a pillar of the community and served as a director of the bank. Ben Tooke was his only employee at the store. When the business began to decline during the Depression years, Graves and Tooke still kept the store open even though their days were lonely and without customers. Graves and his wife had no children." Heirs sold their property and Rockett purchased the land the tree sits on in 1945.

Billy Nutt, County Agent of Bienville Parish (retired), established the diameter at waist height of the tree trunk at 24 inches-its circumference is 88 inches. He estimated its height at 30 feet and crown spread at 35 feet. Mr. Nutt also noted a black cherry sapling growing up from the forked center of the trunk.

In internet research I found Champion crape myrtle in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, one in Kountz, TX, and another in Little Rock, AR that is reputed to be the largest in the south before I ended my search. Another information source, Denyse B. Cummins, Master Gardener Coordinator for NW Louisiana, sent interesting information about another Louisiana tree, one planted by Mr. Akin of Akin's nursery fame that is a different species. "It is huge," Cummins said, "and most folks would not recognize it as a crape but it has the same leaf structure and muscular bark as the modern cross bred crapes."

Brian Chandler an LSU AgCenter forester, is the person in charge of the champion tree program in Louisiana. In Louisiana, the Louisiana Forestry Association sponsors the program for championship trees. It is affiliated with the national program run by American Forests. A tree must be native or naturalized species to be nominated. The LFA keeps a list of state champion trees and how to measure them on their Web site: www.laforestry.com. Select Forest Facts and then Champion Trees to see the list.

So-are crape myrtle trees candidates for the Champion trees program or not? Brian Chandler says not. The crape myrtle is considered an ornamental tree, not a native or naturalized species. Chandler suggests that perhaps a Horticulture group would be interested in sponsoring such a program for Louisiana.

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