A Coconut Palm Growing In The Dunes At North Padre Island, Texas

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Here are some photos of a coconut palm I just found growing in the fore dunes of North Padre Island, Corpus Christi, Texas.  If no one planted it there, then someone about a year and half ago must have tossed a viable nut they found washed up on the beach there and it sprouted a few months later.  It is about 8 ft. to 10 ft. up in elevation above the beach, and appears to be about a year old.  It appears to have survived the 28F freeze on the island in early January just fine, but does seem to be somewhat dry and water stress, which explains it only having 3 green leaves.  I hope no one digs it up, especially when it gets a little older and starts developing the split adult leaves.  I plan on fertilizing it about 3 or 4 times per year, and watering it about once per week during the warm dry months.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

[GottmitAlex]

Nice find!

If I had to guess, I'd say someone planted it there. 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

4 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

Nice find!

If I had to guess, I'd say someone planted it there. 

Maybe, but I can't imagine who.  Usually whenever someone finds a sprouted nut on the beach, they take it home.  I really do think someone, maybe a kid just tossed a viable nut with plenty of milk in it up into the fore dunes and a few months later, it sprouted.  It appears to be about a year + old, but if it had more water, would be about twice the size it is with more leaves.

[Cluster]

Hello John,

It must be very cool to just wander around the beach and find a coconut like that. You could maybe keep a log on this "wild coconut" and keep us up to date with the water intake and its future looks.

[Ben G.]

Cool find. I've been to North Padre before, but it didn't even occur to me to look for any washed up coconuts...Much less small palms. I'm sure it doesn't happen too often, right?

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

wonder how long it will live?  hopefully it lives long enough to get those beautiful arching pinnate fronds I love about coconuts in the tropics and Florida.

Edited March 13, 2017 by Mr.SamuraiSword

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

10 hours ago, Cluster said:

Hello John,

It must be very cool to just wander around the beach and find a coconut like that. You could maybe keep a log on this "wild coconut" and keep us up to date with the water intake and its future looks.

Hey Pedro,

A coworker and I (I work for the County Coastal Parks Dept. on the island and am on the beach every day) were leaving a store after buying some snacks and we were headed back to the park in one of our work trucks when I noticed it as we were turning from the end of the street that the store is on onto the beach.  I am debating whether or not to dig it up and bring it home, dig it up and plant it outside our pavilion at the park I work at about a mile south of where it is growing so that I can water it and fertilize it and care for it on a regular basis, or just leave it where it is and fertilize it 3 to 4 times per year and water it once a week when it is not raining and hope that no one else digs it up and takes it home.  I would really like to leave it where it is and nurture it a little there, but I am afraid that as soon as it gets the adult leaves and is about 5.5 ft. to 7ft. tall when it will be quite noticeable that someone will certainly dig it up and take it at that point.  I wish there was some way to put up a barricade around it that only myself, a coconut palm loving police officer I know who lives on the island, and the president of our palm society would have access to, then we could nurture it and protect it and keep anyone from taking it,

John

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

8 hours ago, Ben OK said:

Cool find. I've been to North Padre before, but it didn't even occur to me to look for any washed up coconuts...Much less small palms. I'm sure it doesn't happen too often, right?

Hey Ben,

The nuts wash up on our beaches all the time in the spring, summer, and fall, when the currents are from the south, bringing them up from the Mexican Coast, but finding a growing palm in the dunes is RARE.  Although I and my Palm Society friend who helps me hunt coconuts have met people who have found sprouted nuts on the beach before, but to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time there has ever been one actually growing on the beach!  I do have a theory though, that before the extensive 98% clear cutting of the native subtropical Sabal palm forest along the river in the Lower Rio Grande Valley over the last 150 years, that there were at least a few mature coconut palms with nuts on them growing along the beach at Boca Chica (The Rio Grande Delta), because before the forest was cut down, the annual average rainfall then was probably about 34 to 37 inches per year, as opposed to the semi arid 26 to 27 inches of annual rainfall in the area now.  This combined with the fact that Boca Chica is the MOST tropical part of Texas with a Climate Zone of 10B, would have made it prime habitat for Mexican nuts to wash up there, sprout, and successfully grow to maturity 200 + years ago!  And being a river delta, the natural water table is shallow there I am sure, shallow enough that any coconut palms that sprouted on the high beach there and got established would have roots that could easily reach the available ground water to get them through periods of drought on the South Texas Coast.

John

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

8 hours ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

wonder how long it will live?  hopefully it lives long enough to get those beautiful arching pinnate fronds I love about coconuts in the tropics and Florida.

Keegan,

I think it will survive there no problem as long as our winters stay mild enough and it doesn't dry out too much in our relatively dry climate here, but without supplemental fertilizing and watering, it will never look really good, but may look just good enough when it does get the adult leaves that someone may dig it up and take it home with them.  This is why I am trying to decide whether or not to go ahead and do that myself, or transplant it to the pavilion at the county park I work at about a mile south of where it is now where I could take care of it on a regular basis, or just leave it there and try to nurture it with some fertilizer and water every once in a while and hope no one takes it.

John

Edited March 14, 2017 by Mr. Coconut Palm

[foxtail]

Put a warning sign!

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

11 hours ago, foxtail said:

Put a warning sign!

Hey Angel,

Good idea, but I am afraid that won't be enough once it gets its adult leaves on it and starts looking a lot better and bigger.

John

[IHB1979]

That's pretty cool! The top of the dune is a brutal location for a palm tree. Even with supplemental water I think it has a long road ahead.

[cm05]

Nice find! A naturalized Coconut would make a nice landmark once it gained some size. Would someone really try to remove such a large plant? Seems like it'd be a difficult undertaking.

In a perfect world I'd leave it and nurture it, but I can see how it'd be tempting to take as a souvenir. Here in NY I've seen rare native cacti go missing, even though it's illegal to remove them.

[PalmTreeDude]

I would leave it where it is, this is how coconuts grow naturally a lot of the time. They are EXTREMELY salt talerant and they thrive in sand. It will look so beautiful once it grows bigger. Plus, it is right on the coast, so it will be kept at a good tempature year round. I say leave it there. 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

14 hours ago, IHB1979 said:

That's pretty cool! The top of the dune is a brutal location for a palm tree. Even with supplemental water I think it has a long road ahead.

Bob,

It is actually on the fore dune, only about 8ft. to 9ft. up.  The top of the dune is about another 7ft. to 8ft. higher and further back from the palm.  There is other vegetation around it, so obviously the plants are able to reach some available ground moisture when it is not raining.

John

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Just now, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Bob,

It is actually on the fore dune, only about 8ft. to 9ft. up.  The top of the dune is about another 7ft. to 8ft. higher and further back from the palm.  There is other vegetation around it, so obviously the plants are able to reach some available ground moisture when it is not raining.

John

Plus I intend to apply a little organic compost and organic fertilizer and some mulch around it.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

11 hours ago, cm05 said:

Nice find! A naturalized Coconut would make a nice landmark once it gained some size. Would someone really try to remove such a large plant? Seems like it'd be a difficult undertaking.

In a perfect world I'd leave it and nurture it, but I can see how it'd be tempting to take as a souvenir. Here in NY I've seen rare native cacti go missing, even though it's illegal to remove them.

Thanks.  Yeah, it is quite a find!  I have been looking for something like this on the Texas Coast for years, and the fact that it made it through the 28F freeze on the island in early January just fine, makes it even more special!  It will look pretty good when it gets a little size to it and gets its split adult leaves, which is what worries me about leaving it there.  That is when it will be VERY noticeable and tempting to take it.  I am talking about when it is about 5.5ft. to 8ft. tall in overall height before it develops any woody trunk.  That is when it will be the most vulnerable to someone taking it, but once it gets to be about 10ft. to 12ft. tall with some woody trunk, it will take some effort to uproot it and take it.  I really do want to leave it there and nurture it, but I am so afraid someone is going to take it.  I wish there was some way myself, my Palm Society buddy, and a coconut palm loving cop I know who lives on the island could protect it and keep people from taking it.

John

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

10 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

I would leave it where it is, this is how coconuts grow naturally a lot of the time. They are EXTREMELY salt talerant and they thrive in sand. It will look so beautiful once it grows bigger. Plus, it is right on the coast, so it will be kept at a good tempature year round. I say leave it there. 

I agree and want to leave it there, but for the reasons you state, it will be tempting for someone to take it when it is about 5.5ft. to about 8ft. tall when it has the mature split leaves.  Even one growing on a semi arid island will still look decent enough to be taken by someone then, therefore I am going to try to find a way to protect it from anyone digging it up, and I will be nurturing it with water at least once a week, good organic fertilizer 3 or 4 times per year, and some organic compost and mulch once or twice a year.  I think once it gets up around 12ft. tall with about 2 ft. of woody trunk  it will be pretty unlikely anyone will take it then, because it will just be too difficult to uproot in and safely transport it then.  It is even more special too because it survived the 28F freeze on the island in January just fine and unprotected!  Therefore, I am really hoping it reaches maturity produces some viable nuts in the near future, because it obviously has good strong genes. 

John

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

This coconut palm already has the honorable distinction of being the most northern naturally growing coconut palm on the Texas Coast and along the Western Gulf Coast for that matter!

 

[IHB1979]

6 hours ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Plus I intend to apply a little organic compost and organic fertilizer and some mulch around it.

John, I hope it makes it.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

2 hours ago, IHB1979 said:

John, I hope it makes it.

Thanks, me too.

[jfrye01@live.com]

Very nice find! I sure hope it is left alone and given a chance to thrive! Please keep us updated... :) 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

On ‎3‎/‎16‎/‎2017‎ ‎1‎:‎41‎:‎23‎, jfrye01@live.com said:

Very nice find! I sure hope it is left alone and given a chance to thrive! Please keep us updated... :) 

Yeah, Jacob, I think I will leave it there and try to protect it.  I will keep everyone updated.

John

[PalmTreeDude]

On 3/17/2017, 10:56:55, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Yeah, Jacob, I think I will leave it there and try to protect it.  I will keep everyone updated.

John

Thank you for doing this! If it gets the chance to get large, it would be amazing. 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

On ‎3‎/‎18‎/‎2017‎ ‎10‎:‎52‎:‎26‎, PalmTreeDude said:

Thank you for doing this! If it gets the chance to get large, it would be amazing. 

Yes, it would.  They have grown to about 25 ft. tall on North Padre Island in people's yards, with nuts on them between really bad coconut killing winters.  So, they can be grown to maturity here..

 

[palmfriend]

John,

a great find and thank you for the documentation!

I know how it feels, on one hand you would like to protect it (taking it somewhere and feed it) and

on the other hand we all love to see a cocos nucifera growing naturally on a beach...

If I were in your situation I would leave it where it is (and would take care of it) BUT would place

one or two boards kindly asking/reqesting passbyers to leave the plant where it is (mentioning the

unusual/rare location of a coconut palm so far north) to let it grow.

With this option you may have a chance that nature takes its course while doing what you could do -

if someone pulls it out - well, it would be a bit sad but you could tell yourself: You gave it an honest try!

 

best regards

Lars

 

 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

4 hours ago, palmfriend said:

John,

a great find and thank you for the documentation!

I know how it feels, on one hand you would like to protect it (taking it somewhere and feed it) and

on the other hand we all love to see a cocos nucifera growing naturally on a beach...

If I were in your situation I would leave it where it is (and would take care of it) BUT would place

one or two boards kindly asking/reqesting passbyers to leave the plant where it is (mentioning the

unusual/rare location of a coconut palm so far north) to let it grow.

With this option you may have a chance that nature takes its course while doing what you could do -

if someone pulls it out - well, it would be a bit sad but you could tell yourself: You gave it an honest try!

 

best regards

Lars

 

 

Hey Lars,

You're welcome for the documentation on it.  I am leaning towards leaving it there and hoping for the best, that no one will take it.  I am probably going to fertilize it tomorrow with the high quality all organic 8-4-6 fertilizer I use on all my palms and plants.  It has over 70 minerals and micronutrients and covers the full spectrum of all micronutrients and minerals plants need, then I will apply some 100% organic compost and some Texas Native Hardwood Mulch around it to help retain moisture and then water it really good.  I have been thinking of trying to erect a barricade around it, at least for a couple of years until it gets big enough that no one can take it, but this will also bring attention to it, which we don't want until it is big enough that no one can take it.  I will keep everyone posted on how it does.

John

[palmfriend]

John,

Thank you for your reply.

It sounds like a good and realistic plan - so, all the best to you and your new baby!

best regards

Lars

[Cluster]

Hello John,

I think this coconut will be very popular at least among us here! It will be nice if you can keep it from harm's way exactly where it is located. Maybe write something dramatic that will bring the common sense of most people to just leave it alone and admire it instead for what it represents. 

[Inot]

Woah,that is amazing wish we would have cocos here.

In your place I would put up a sign and fence it,if it's already growing there let it be.Update us on how it's going I am keepin' my fingers crossed hopefully in a few years it will turn into a beautiful coco palm 

 

[COCOTEX]

That's awesome!!! Haha were about is it located?  Near bob hall pier? You should talk to the park ranger maybe he could keep an eye on it. Would like to see if it's there ,I hope it's still growing ! Haha we should start sprouting and planting in the dunes hehehe

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

I made the decision to move it, since it looked like it was starting to decline and was very dry where it was (even though I was trying to water it).  It is a really good thing I did decide to move it, because when I dug it up, it had virtually no roots, even though by the size of it, it appeared to be at least a year old.  I kept it on the island and planted it in a raised bed at the entrance to the Sea Life Center, where I can better keep an eye on it and water it more regularly.  It is down to 1 leaf, but with the high quality organic MicroLife fertilizer I use, and the TLC it has been given since I moved it, it seems to be recovering pretty rapidly.  As this leaf continues to open, it appears that it is going to be a healthy robust leaf.  Also, there is a lady who works at the Sea Life Center that is also watering it and keeping an eye on it and another coconut palm that I planted there earlier this year.  Here are a couple of photos of the newly moved palm.  I plan on taking another photo or two of it in a few weeks.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

[palmfriend]

John,

That was probably the best option, to dig it out and replant it - too bad that it didn't work out where you found it, but better this way than risking the plants life.

All the best with it,

best regards

Lars

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

any updates?

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

On 5/24/2017, 11:38:33, palmfriend said:

John,

That was probably the best option, to dig it out and replant it - too bad that it didn't work out where you found it, but better this way than risking the plants life.

All the best with it,

best regards

Lars

Thanks, Lars.