Q. Today I found this frond on the ground and it looks like a fungus on
the back of it. Can our palms be saved with treatment?
the back of it. Can our palms be saved with treatment?
A. From my perspective, there are two options. The first
is to recognize that white fuzz on leaf fronds of many of palms is normal. It
depends on which palm it is.
is to recognize that white fuzz on leaf fronds of many of palms is normal. It
depends on which palm it is.
My first
reaction in seeing the picture you sent was that it was normal and this was one
of the palms with fuzz exactly where it is in your picture.
reaction in seeing the picture you sent was that it was normal and this was one
of the palms with fuzz exactly where it is in your picture.
The
second option is that it is a disease or insect problem that I have not seen
before. We do have mealybugs and scale insects that cause a similar white fuzzy
appearance. This normally occurs on palms growing indoors, not outdoors.
second option is that it is a disease or insect problem that I have not seen
before. We do have mealybugs and scale insects that cause a similar white fuzzy
appearance. This normally occurs on palms growing indoors, not outdoors.
I still
tend to think that this is a palm with normal white fuzzies on the leaves. What
is troubling is that you told me one of your palms died. If the palm is
well-suited to our desert climate, death would be rare.
tend to think that this is a palm with normal white fuzzies on the leaves. What
is troubling is that you told me one of your palms died. If the palm is
well-suited to our desert climate, death would be rare.
So I
went searching for diseases that might give the same appearance as white
fuzzies on the leaves. I could not find any.
went searching for diseases that might give the same appearance as white
fuzzies on the leaves. I could not find any.
Many
people assume that palm trees are low in water use. They are not. Palms survive
very nicely in the desert near an oasis where they can drink freely from
available water. They don’t survive in the middle of a desert landscape with a
minimum amount of water.
people assume that palm trees are low in water use. They are not. Palms survive
very nicely in the desert near an oasis where they can drink freely from
available water. They don’t survive in the middle of a desert landscape with a
minimum amount of water.
A
telltale sign that they are not getting enough water is poor development of the
fronds. They may be smaller than normal and scorched around the margins of the
leaves. Eventually the bud in the center of the palm dies thus killing the
entire palm.
telltale sign that they are not getting enough water is poor development of the
fronds. They may be smaller than normal and scorched around the margins of the
leaves. Eventually the bud in the center of the palm dies thus killing the
entire palm.
Palms
can be weakened if they are not receiving enough water, if they go through a
very hard winter which stresses the central Bud, if they are severely pruned to
look like a feather duster in late fall or if new palms are planted in the fall
instead of spring and summer.
can be weakened if they are not receiving enough water, if they go through a
very hard winter which stresses the central Bud, if they are severely pruned to
look like a feather duster in late fall or if new palms are planted in the fall
instead of spring and summer.
My gut
tells me that your palm frond with the white fuzzies is one of the normal palms
(you can check this by looking at other fronds on the same plant and see if
they are fuzzy as well) and that your one palm which died was weakened and the
central bud was killed by bud rot.
tells me that your palm frond with the white fuzzies is one of the normal palms
(you can check this by looking at other fronds on the same plant and see if
they are fuzzy as well) and that your one palm which died was weakened and the
central bud was killed by bud rot.