Rio Grande Nursery

Rio Grande Nursery was established in Brownsville about 1945.This area of the country is known as The Rio Grande Valley which is in USDA Zone 10.This fertile farm land produces excellent cotton, sorghum, sugarcane, onions, watermelons and is known worldwide for its Citrus. Traditionally water has been provided by hundreds of miles of irrigation canals flowing from the Rio Grande River which Separates Texas from Mexico.

T.E. Wright began growing tropical plants under Ebony and Mesquite trees. Later the growing area was improved with wooden houses using palm fronds wired to poultry netting for shade. The palm leaves, more often than not, harbored "critters" which usually found their way onto the plants. Fertilizers and pest control were of agricultural grade, not the sustainable types utilized in modern facilities.

Potting soil consisted of dirt, compost, wood shavings, cotton gin trash, sugar cane bagasse, and some added a few shrimp shells to the mix. Plastic pots were not available, so nurseries potted everything in brittle clay pots which were packed in boxes, loaded on railway boxcars, with the "boss" in the Pullman for the 500 mile overnight trip To Ft. Worth, Texas.

Currently with over one million square feet of greenhouses, Rio Grande Nursery is one of the largest growers of indoor tropical foliage in Texas. Now working with Texas A & M Citrus Center, Rio Grande Nursery has over thirty varieties of virus free container grown citrus trees. Patio citrus trees have been shipped from Texas to more than 20 states including Maine & Alaska.