Frost damaged palms

[Surf Guy]

Here are a few photos of some of my palms that suffered cold/frost damage from last weeks cold spell. I know I can't be the only one. I am only three and a half miles from the coast and I got it pretty good. Some of you inland palm growers have to have some too.

Dypsis lanceolata

Dypsis leptocheilos

Hyophorbe indica red form

[Surf Guy]

And a few more.....

Pritchardia hillebrandii

Dypsis ambositrae

Kentiopsis oliviformis

My KO seemed to handle it pretty good. When the last frond first opened we got hit with the dry 95 degree heat for about three to four days and then the cold spell. It is planted out in the open with no protectio. It has been in the ground for about a year and a half.

[Matt in SD]

Mike,

I'm fascinated that your lanceolata is burned and your Ficus dammaropsis in the background is fine. I have a D lanceolata about 10 feet away from a Ficus dammaropsis and my dammaropsis is badly frost burned, but the lanceolata is fine.

Overall I have some leaf burn on a few Pritchardias, small Archontophoenix purpurea, and a Dypsis madagascariensis sort of thing. Only plants open to the sky got burned. Anything with any sort of cover was fine.

Matt

[joe_OC]

I was really lucky...no frost, no damages to my palms.

[QUINNPALMS]

Same here no frost damage to report in Fallbrook, (san diego) (knock on wood) !

[Surf Guy]

Mike,

You can't see it in thr photo but the Ficus and D. lanceolata are underneath 40% shade cloth. The burned leaf on the lanceolata is exposed a little bit. This plant has never really looked that good. You can see in the photo that it has an under developed frond. It does grow and is showing two tightly spaced rings of trunk. I have thought about digging it but I always think that it will start looking better.

[BS Man about Palms]

[ellidro]

Just curious what was your low temp?

[Surf Guy]

Just curious what was your low temp?

I'm not sure but my truck thermometer was at 36F two mornings in a row with ice on my windshield.

[paulgila]

thats weird.i live about 12 miles inland(in a low spot) & havent seen any windshield ice,although i dont leave the house until approx 8:30 a.m.

i only saw frost on the grass 1 morning.

[BS Man about Palms]

Anything that can "drain cold" on those palms?

[Tyrone]

They look like they've seen 26F not 36F. I'm really surprised at that damage.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Enzo]

I'm not sure but my truck thermometer was at 36F two mornings in a row with ice on my windshield.

They look like they've seen 26F not 36F. I'm really surprised at that damage.

36F or 2.2C is a temperature that does not cause cold damage

Best regards

Enzo

[osideterry]

I was at 32-33F for 5 of 6 mornings, and saw nothing near that bad. D. leptocheilos completely unaffected. Likewise chambeys. burretiokentias, rhopies, royals, etc.

At my temps the damage was limited to slight bronzing on A. alexandrae and purpurea, both out in full sun, and a large potted Kentia that as of last fall seemed sun-hardened. I'd describe the color on my Foxtails as "slightly dulled".

[Matt in SD]

Frost causes damage on most tropical palms and plants, while most palms that we grow in Southern California are completely unscathed by temps of 32F or even a bit lower. I'm pretty certain the reason a few of us coastal guys had some damage in this weather while inland people did not is because you need moisture to get frost, and there is more moisture near the coast.

The coldest night for me was the Fri morning of the 26th. I recorded slightly below 32F near the lower part of my property. There was frost visible on leaves of several plants. Plants that had any overhead cover had no frost and were completely undamaged. So I have Pinangas in areas that got very cold, but had overhead cover, that still look perfect, and Archontophoenix purpurea in the open with some frost damage. The only exception is bananas, which seem to burn at 32/33F whether they have any frost on the leaves or not.

I assume that the leaves exposed to the sky radiate more heat, which cools them below the air temp, which facilitates condensation on the leaves, leading to frost. Once I have some canopy, I think all my palms will be perfectly fine in this sort of weather.

Matt

PS. Paul, 8:30 is too late to see frost in most areas. I went fishing from Point Loma Saturday morning of the 27th and there was frost on the rooftops all the way out point loma on houses and buildings just a couple blocks from the bay. This was at 6AM though, once the sun hits these exposed surfaces the frost is gone...fast.

[palmcurry]

Mike,

that damage is a bummer. I think we were all surprised on this cold spell. Dont give up on that D.laceolata...it might take a year to look good again but its worth it. If you do decide to dig it up or anything else, send me a PM and I'll be happy to drive down and rescue it

No damage to my plants is appearant yet but I like to wait a few weeks to make sure. It frosted here a few times and felt like it was in the 20's when I walked my dogs. BRRRRRRRRRR!

[BS Man about Palms]

My coldest was not Monday morning the 29th, well, actually it tied with another day, but you could see the frost from the weekend's rain leaving the ground nice and wet.

While hard to see, there is frost on my deck. You can see the frost on the roofs further on with the Ocean in the background, roughly 1 1/2 miles away.. Also note no frost on the grass "tufts" below. I saw none on my leaves or ground that morning.. taken roughly 620am.

Oh yes, I believe I had an indicated 35F out front.. at some point during this event the front registered a 33F, but the back not below 34F. I believe its because its very dry in the location out front, while weeds and grasses surround the back therm. As long as the grass, etc is wet, it should evap some warmth to the area, once dried out, back is usually 2F colder...

Edited December 4, 2010 by BS Man about Palms

[tikitiki]

I hate frost. It does a number on palms that would easily make it through the cold here.

[Kumar]

Will those frost affected leaves recover or are they prematurely discarded ?

[Mark Heath]

I hate frost. It does a number on palms that would easily make it through the cold here.

I hear you!! I could'nt agree more!

[PalmatierMeg]

Will those frost affected leaves recover or are they prematurely discarded ?

Kumar, frost damage does not heal. The "burned" areas will turn brown and die. Most of my Coccothrinax still show frost damage from last winter on old fronds. I didn't trim them off because these palms grow so slowly and need every bit of green to photosynthesize. So they still look a bit scruffy but better than 6 months ago when they were a pitiful sight.

[Surf Guy]

Paul,

That is weird!

Matt,

Thanks for the reply. I am sure that the damage is not life threatining but it's a bummer because it will take a while for the palms to look good again. Hopefully we have a little bit more heat in So Cal next spring/summer. I also have some plumeria that look REALLY bad! Oh well, the wait begins.

[paulgila]

i think the moisture is the key,as matt said.

[nkbish]

surfguy:

I was at your place about a month ago and it is a bummer to see what happened (you have selected a very nice combo of rare stuff). The indica reds and purpureas I got from you were under canopy and look like they did okay. My stuff that was out in the open took a harder hit. My soft plant stuff got fried, but my palms seem like they made it through. The lawn in the open had a solid frost on it, but under cover there was none. I am about 10 miles inland and seen about 33. I think once you build up your canopy on the south side you will be fine and will be able to grow far more than I can.

[Surf Guy]

surfguy:

I was at your place about a month ago and it is a bummer to see what happened (you have selected a very nice combo of rare stuff). The indica reds and purpureas I got from you were under canopy and look like they did okay. My stuff that was out in the open took a harder hit. My soft plant stuff got fried, but my palms seem like they made it through. The lawn in the open had a solid frost on it, but under cover there was none. I am about 10 miles inland and seen about 33. I think once you build up your canopy on the south side you will be fine and will be able to grow far more than I can.

Nick,

It's good to hear that your palms made ot OK. I think this is just a freek thing so I will just wait for my plants to come out of it. I know the plants I have will grow in my area. My garden is in it's infancy so I have no canopy yet. It cam only get better. Thanks for the reply and good lucknthis winter.

[nkbish]

I too have to deal with the lack of cover on one side of my yard. I dont have the patients to wait for it, but im sure it will come in time, and when it does you and I will grow some great stuff. Thanks agian for the great plants and I hope to see your place again some time.

[Kumar]

Thanks Meg. I have predictably never seen any sort of cold damage before.