White stuff

[Mel]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to Palm Talk and have learned a lot in the short period of time that I have been a member.

I purchased two Chamaerops humilis two years ago. They have been growing well enough over the last four years and made it through the snowfall we had this past winter. I need some help identifying the white scaly stuff on the palm leaf stems. I hope someone with more experience then I can tell me what it is and how to get rid of it if need be.

Thanks in advance,

Mel

[tinman10101]

Hello Mel

Welcome to Palmtalk. The white stuff I too have inquired about when I first started into palms as well on my Chamaerops humilis.

White Stuff = Very Healthy Plant.

Of course, not all white stuff is healthy such as Mealy Bugs.

Cheers!

Tin

[peachy]

Welcome to palmtalk Mel. I kept treating mine for mealybugs and spraying it with everything known to mankind until someone said its perfectly normal in a healthy plant. The only silly question is the one you dont ask !! Mealybugs are more like little white spider webs if you get the kind of spiders that make those little tangled webs where you live.

Peachy

[Mel]

Hello Mel

Welcome to Palmtalk. The white stuff I too have inquired about when I first started into palms as well on my Chamaerops humilis.

White Stuff = Very Healthy Plant.

Of course, not all white stuff is healthy such as Mealy Bugs.

Cheers!

Tin

[Mel]

Thanks Tin and peachy, I am much relieved.

Mel

Hello Mel

Welcome to Palmtalk. The white stuff I too have inquired about when I first started into palms as well on my Chamaerops humilis.

White Stuff = Very Healthy Plant.

Of course, not all white stuff is healthy such as Mealy Bugs.

Cheers!

Tin

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

The technical term for that material is "tomentum". The plant produces it naturally. Nothing to worry about.

[John in Andalucia]

Hi Mel, welcome to the forum! For a second I was thinking you had a mealybug infestation, but far from it. You'll hear people talk about fuzz, in relation to certain palms - Dypsis for example, and that's another reference to palms that produce heavy, often coloured tomentum around the stems.

[sick1166]

have 3 indica that were showing lots of that but a year later and new fronds every 3 weeks greener then the last and sprayed 1 time to no avail i was told its a good sign no worries