The Teas Nursery Company plaque, nestled among the vibrant foliage of Bellaire Boulevard, whispers tales of a green legacy that stretches back over a century. Built in 1993, this simple aluminum marker doesn’t merely commemorate a company; it tells a story of passion, family, and the transformation of a city.
Imagine a young John C Teas, a man with a knack for growing things, selling apples from his backyard in Indiana. He moved his business to Missouri in 1868 and became a nationally recognized horticulturist. It wasn’t long until his son, Edward, followed in his footsteps.
In 1909, Edward Teas, Sr. landed in Bellaire. Developer W.W. Baldwin was planning the community of Westmoreland Farms and had a vision for Bellaire Boulevard, the main thoroughfare – it was going to be lined with trees. Edward Teas, Sr. designed the plantings for Bellaire Boulevard and the other streets in the town. He moved his family from Missouri to Bellaire and opened Teas Nursery Company.
The plaque sits on the very site of the once thriving nursery, a silent testament to the company’s influence on the city. It’s hard to believe that this busy boulevard was at one time a landscape of open fields. Teas Nursery specialized in fruit trees, flowering shrubs, and plants, and eventually expanded into landscaping services. They were responsible for beautifying the grounds of Rice University and the River Oaks subdivision, two of Houston’s most prestigious landmarks.
By 1951, the company had planted one million trees across Houston – those trees that we see every day, providing shade and beauty. A fitting legacy, indeed. Sadly, Edward Teas, Sr. died the same year, leaving the nursery to his descendants. Though the nursery itself no longer stands, the trees it planted remain, a lasting testament to the Teas family’s green vision for Houston.