Coconut Palms once lined Rotary Park in Port Isabel

By RENE TORRES

The people that went through the storm of 1933 probably said that nothing good came out of that natural disaster. In most cases, hurricanes, regardless of their magnitude, leave a legacy of some form of destruction.

The storm of ’33 was not much different than any other when it came to raising havoc, with one exception—it did leave a mysterious plant never seen before in this area. To the people of Port Isabel, it was a gift from the gods.

In actuality, however, it was a coconut palm sprout that made its way to this section via the sea.
At first, to the naked eye, it just looked to be a weed of some kind, but after close inspection, it was determined that, yes indeed—Port Isabel and the Valley had their first coconut palm sprout.

The sprout was identified and planted with the idea that it would make permanent residency in the section. In history, pioneers are typically admired – those who take the first step in doing something bold and/or different.

In this case, the people of Port Isabel were the pioneers— taking a chance in experimenting with the growth and development of the coconut palm.

In this case, the first to take the plunge was Carlos from “Carlos Café” of Laguna Heights. He was the first to plant the sprout, exactly where, however, is unknown. What is known is that the sprout grew and developed into a mature tree, proving that the palm of this nature had a future in the Valley.

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