Houstonians are concerned after social media videos showed that the iconic palm trees on West Gray St in River Oaks were mysteriously cut down without warning.
The palm trees on West Gray usher visitors into an entirely different world than we are accustomed to in Houston. The stretch of road is one of the rare places in the city that doesn’t feel like Houston, but somewhere else entirely, which is why the trees are so beloved.
“They took away our fake Miami,” one commenter wrote.
“That area will NEVER be the same after that just disappointing,” another commenter mourned the loss of the trees.
That area will NEVER be the same after that just disappointing,” a conspiracy-minded Houstonian commented.
For those concerned the palm trees will be gone forever, they have been taken down before.
Last year in early September, similar concerns took over Houston social media with Reddit posts asking why the beloved tropical trees were suddenly removed. Chron went to get to the bottom of the missing trees, and landscapers filled us in that the removal was only temporary, and that the beloved trees were being replaced with newer, fresher examples.
Last year, the palms were swapped with a different type of tree, and the landscaping crew indicated that they would be back up long before the holiday season, when Christmas flights are wrapped around the trees, transforming the area into a Los Angeles-esque Christmas wonderland.
It seems like they are just being replaced once again.
On Friday, the River Oaks Theatre told Chron that they couldn’t imagine the trees not being replaced, explaining that they have not heard anything about the status of the beloved palms. Barnes and Noble told Chron they had similarly not heard of any plans to remove the trees but would be surprised if they didn’t return.
The River Oaks Shopping Center has not yet responded to Chron’s Friday inquiry into the tree’s removal, but indicated that a statement on the palm trees would be made available as soon as possible.
Houston has been experiencing a brutal heat wave in recent weeks with long stretches featuring no rain, which could have contributed to the decision to replace the trees this time around.