College Drive at I-10

When a local philanthropist looked at the College Drive interchange at I-10, he saw a blank slate in the heart of Baton Rouge that desperately needed attention. He called Baton Rouge Green to help. With his initial investment, and ongoing support from companies like Turner Industries and Raising Cane’s, and citizens like the Lindsey & Tom Easterly, this site is the most vibrant in our Living Roadways program.

Between 2015 and 2018, Baton Rouge Green installed over 100 trees and hundreds of shrubs, grasses and irises at several areas across the site. What used to be turf grass and a few large live oaks is now a multi-story mini-forest of native species that helps lower temperatures, calm traffic, traps pollution and carbon from high-traffic roadways, and even provides habitat for birds and insects.

Tree and shrub species at this site include:

• Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine)
• Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
• Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
• Pond Cypress (Taxodium distichum var. nutans)
• Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera)
• Swamp Red Maple (Acer rubrum drummondii)
• Devilwood/American Olive (Osmanthus americanus)
• White Oak (Quercua alba)
• Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
• Spruce Pine (Pinus glabra)
• Swamp Titi (Cyrilla racemiflora)
• Native Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria)
• Blue Flag Iris (Iris virginica)
• Soft Rush (Juncus Effusus)
• White Sea Shore Mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica 'Immaculate')
• Rosa’a Blush Dwarf blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii 'Rosa's Blush')
• Itea / Virginia Sweetspire (Itea Virginica)

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