Arboretum

The Arboretum— also a compost demonstration garden— is both water-wise and eco-friendly and includes butterfly gardens, a Rio Grande Valley native forest, vegetable gardens, and an outdoor classroom.  Located at the corner of Williams Road and Expressway 77 in San Benito, the former Levis plant is now where Cameron County Master Gardeners work, teach, and learn.

The garden is open to the public from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M.  Drop by or contact us to schedule a tour for your school or organization.

History

In 2006, Cameron County was renovating the old Levis building for a county annex.   Master Gardeners noticed a large piece of raw land on the south side of the facility and began envisioning a demonstration and teaching garden.  That August, the Cameron County Commissioners Court gave Master Gardeners use of this land in perpetuity.

Valley native forest

November 2006, Master Gardeners planted 29 native and adapted trees to showcase varieties that perform well in the Rio Grande Valley.  We also included a few non-natives unique to our area.  (Scientific names are italicized.)

• Anacua Ehretia anacua
• Cedar Elm Ulmus crassifolia
• Ebony Pithecellobium ebano
• Guayacan Guaiacum agustifolium
• Honey Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa
• Live Oak Quercus virginiana
• Texas Huisache Acacia smallii
• Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora secundiflora
• Texas Persimmons Diospyros texana
• Western Soapberry Sapindus saponaria v. drummondii
• Wild Olive Cordia bossifolia

Compost demonstration garden

In 2008, we received a grant from the Lower Rio Grande Development Council to build a compost demonstration garden.

Plants at the Arboretum: Click on the hyperlinked names to read more.

Flowers

• • Blue Mistflower Euphorbia azureun
  • Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
  • Canna Lily Canna × generalis
  • Cat’s Whiskers Orthosisphon stamineus
  • Crucita Euphatorium odoratum
  • Duranta (dark blue) Duranta repens
  • Esperanza Tecoma stans
  • Greg’s Mistflower Euphorbia gregerii
  • Ixora (Jungle Geranium or Flame of the Woods) Ixora coccinea
  • Lantana Lantana horrida
  • Mexican Petunia (tall variety) Ruellia peninsularis
  • *Plumbago Plumbago auriculata
  • *Peacock Flower (Red Bird of Paradise or Pride of Barbados) Caesalpinia pulcherrima
  • Pink Powder Puff Calliandra 
  • Porterweed Stachytarpheta cayennensis
  • Red Porterweed Stachytarpheta mutabilis
  • Trailing Lantana Lantana montevidensis
  • Trumpet Creeper Campsis radicans
  • Turk’s Cap Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii

Trees

• • Cedar Elm Ulmus crassifolia
  • Chaste Tree Vitex agnus-castas
  • Ebony Pithecellobium ebano
  • Honey Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa
  • Huisache Acacia farnesiana
  • Live Oak Quercus virginiana
  • Pata de Chiva Bauhinia divaricata
  • Soapbush (Guayacan) Guaiacum angustifolium
  • Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora secundiflora
  • Texas Persimmons Diospyros texana
  • Western Soapberry Sapindus saponaria v. drummondii
  • Wild Olive (Anacahuita) Cordia bossifolia

*Superstar plants “with an Earth-Kind Index value of 8 or higher are considered to be extremely resource efficient and are generally heat tolerant, drought tolerant, pest tolerant, with minimal soil or fertility requirements for the selected region” (Earth-Kind Plant Selector).