I think the two hard freezes in the 80s and maybe a disease wiped most of them out. Used to line Expressway 83, too. The Valley landscape changed substantially during the 80s. A great number of orchards that also were lost in the freezes never were restocked. Local painter Gabriel Salazar's landscapes do a good job of capturing the scenes from back then.

Yup a few new diseases and freezes wiped a lot of them out.

Mostly because they planted Washingtonians instead of Sabal Mexicanas.

Wrong decision long term.

in the summer of 85' I worked for the highway department, we planted over 700k new palm trees that summer. I think, or should say know, a lot bit the dust due to drought, many were planted in places that a few years later took them out and some are still there.

They never went back to allowing lines of palm trees to be planted along roads due to traffic accidents. it was a damm curse in the valley to run off a road a lot of folks were killed over the years running into palm trees. I had several friends that were.

For sure the valley landscape has changed radically, it was pretty cool in the 70's and through to the 80's, but that freeze in 83 changed the valley big time. The palms we planted were a mix of types all mainly shorter ones that were freeze resistant, but I think the dry weather got a bunch of them. We did plant some Washingtonians, or whatever they are, but only around Harlingen and some into Browntown. Planting along the right away was a wild deal, as there were so many buried , and never permitted, electrical and gas lines that it was a constant adventure.

I still see lots of Washingtonian palms here in the midvalley. In fact I have 13 of them in my yard (30-40 feet). I do think that a couple of cold snaps got to some of them but there are still a lot just not in town. I sure hate the mess but the guy that I have come and trim them still charges me $35.

RGV AG said:

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in the summer of 85' I worked for the highway department, we planted over 700k new palm trees that summer. I think, or should say know, a lot bit the dust due to drought, many were planted in places that a few years later took them out and some are still there.

They never went back to allowing lines of palm trees to be planted along roads due to traffic accidents. it was a damm curse in the valley to run off a road a lot of folks were killed over the years running into palm trees. I had several friends that were.

For sure the valley landscape has changed radically, it was pretty cool in the 70's and through to the 80's, but that freeze in 83 changed the valley big time. The palms we planted were a mix of types all mainly shorter ones that were freeze resistant, but I think the dry weather got a bunch of them. We did plant some Washingtonians, or whatever they are, but only around Harlingen and some into Browntown. Planting along the right away was a wild deal, as there were so many buried , and never permitted, electrical and gas lines that it was a constant adventure.

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I wonder how many jobs you created for future landscapers?

All of those trees were planted along state right of way. For several years after you would see water trucks intermittently driving along and watering those trees. I know certain areas where quite a few were planted were taken out not but a few years later, a great example of your tax dollars at work.

The widening of roads and development wiped a bunch of them by the early 90's. For instance along Hw. 100 it wasn't 3 years later that most were taken out for the widening and changing of the original road course.

Years ago the ones on South Cage in Pharr were beautiful. Freeze got most of them.