Growing Wise
Is all that pruning really necessary?
By JAMES STEVENSON
Article published on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007  |
For those who have transplanted themselves to our beautiful state and have found themselves owners of one of the many palm trees that grow here, please heed our well-researched advice:
Do not remove, (or for goodness’ sake pay someone else to remove), any fronds from your landscape palms unless they are totally brown.
This seems like an easy enough thing, but it never ceases to amaze me the lengths our good citizens go to diminish the health and appearance of perfectly healthy palm trees.
Palms are not like other trees that produce growth rings as their trunks widen each season. Palms have but one shot at growing to their full height, and in most cases will die if their one growing tip is damaged or destroyed. The growing tip is located in the center (heart) of the crown of fronds, and the trunk is actually formed by healthy leaf bases. Repeated removal of green fronds causes the palm to become stressed and thus susceptible to disease. In addition, the strength of the trunk is diminished, leaving the whole crown likely to snap off in strong winds.
Dead fronds, below the main crown of green, pose no threat to the health of the palm. In fact, the dead and decaying fronds may actually assist with healthy palm growth, by providing cool, moist conditions near the crown.
If you simply cannot bear to look at any dead palm fronds (and we would suggest a trip to a preserve where plants are allowed to grow without human intervention and see if your aesthetic changes) please for the sake of the tree, only remove completely brown leaves from the lowest part of the crown. Remember, you do not have to remove any of the fronds, but if you do, please understand why it is necessary to leave the green
Some palms are considered self-cleaning and drop one of their massive fronds at a time. The foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) is one such palm. As a result this palm is becoming more popular than the messy queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana). The queen palm also produces an abundance of fruit that can become a rotten mess beneath the tree. As the queen palm is not native to Florida and has little wildlife value (except for fruit rats), removal of the flowers or developing fruit will not harm the tree or deprive our natives of a meal.
When choosing to chop or not to chop, make sure that disease or nutrient deficiency is not a factor in leaf browning. If an excessive amount (more than one-third) of leaves are brown or yellowing, you may wish to have one of our professional horticulturists have a look to see if all is well. Bringing in a photograph or a dying (not dead) frond is an easy way for our staff to determine the health of your tree. Horticulturists are available to evaluate specimens weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The extension office is located at 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33774. The horticultural help line is available from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 through 4 p.m. weekdays.
Remember, our advice is free, based on research at the University of Florida, and we would actually like to save you the hassle and expense of pruning palms that simply don’t need it.
James Stevenson is a public educational specialist at Florida Botanical Gardens. Call 582-2581.
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Article published on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007
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