Kyle's Rio Grande Valley Garden
Edinburg, Texas
Contents:
Hi and welcome to my garden.
Kyle Robinson - Edinburg, Texas.
For those of you who do not know where Edinburg is, it's located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, right next to McAllen in Hidalgo County. Were located at (26.34 north, longitude 98.18 west), one of the most southern points in the continental US. We are about 96 feet above sea level and our USDA Zone rating is 10a.
Because I'm off the beaten path I would like to share my garden with you.
The "Valley", as we call it in here Texas is famous for its citrus, especially grapefruit. The climate is hot and dry during the summer, with occasional tropical storms. Winters are mild and pleasant, but can be subject to the intrusion of arctic cold fronts on rare occasions. The National Weather Service Brownsville offers complete weather conditions for this area.
The Palm Society of South Texas' website has an excellent article written by Richard Travis on the historic freezes that have occurred here. Sometimes people look at a zone map, and imagine what our area looks like, and what plants are growing here.
History of Freezes in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Part II 1895-1962
A History of Severe Freezes in the Lower Rio Grande Valley -- Part III
The Native Plants of South Texas at Texas A&M University website is helpful in identifying the native plants of my area. Many of our native cacti have been destroyed with great zeal. Instead of embracing the beautiful drought tolerant hardy cacti, they are overlooked by local gardeners who often want a more lush "Florida Look" with carpet grass and moisture loving tropical and subtropical plants. These exotic moisture loving plants are not well suited for the semi-drought conditions of South Texas.
According to Early Visions of the Lower Rio Grande - Santos, Richard, G Richard G. Santos, 1983 Munguia Printers.) "On June 26 1523, Francisco de Garay sailed from Jamaica for The Provincia de Amichel. His flotilla consisted of eleven ships carrying 850 settlers and 144 horses. His expedition landed at the Rio de la Palma (present Rio Grande)."
In Robert Lee Riffles, and Paul Crafts book, An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms, on page 446 under Sabal mexicana "At one time, it (Sabal mexicana) was common along the Rio Grande almost as far north as Laredo but has since been destroyed for agricultural purposes except for a small area near the mouth of the Rio Grande".
Also they state " Sabal mexicana occurs naturally from the extreme southeastern tip of Texas (Brownsville area), southwards through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador where it grows in drier lowlands”.
The Rio Grande Valley has a long and colorful history and truly deserves to be called the River of the Palms. One percent of the natural ecosystem remains. Ninety nine percent of the land has been cleared for agriculture. Now even the citrus groves are disappearing as more land is cleared for urban housing developments.
Next I would like to take you on a plant tour of the Edinburg/ McAllen/ Mission area. These pictures are of plant specimens that I thought you might enjoy seeing.
Enjoy!, hasta la proxima vez,
Kyle