Expanding # of Palm Diseases in Florida

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

My job requires travel all over Florida. Being a palm geek and all, I've been concerned about what seems to be a growing number of diseases impacting the common palms here in FL. I've been on the West Coast (Tampa and South) a couple of times in the last 2 months as well as down the center of the state on Hwy 27. I'm seeing more and more dead Sabal palmettos. This Mycoplasm Like Organism from TX is the most likely cause. In some places it appears that 1/2 of the S. palmetto population has been eradicated. However, my impression is that its only attacking mature trees. What have others observed. I haven't observed it up-close and personal because, luckily, we don't seem to have it yet in my area. Undoubtably, it'll be here soon since we transport a gazillion S. palmettos around the Southeast every year. I'm sure we'll transport it throughout the entire SE USA.

Second, I've been observing many dead Washingtonia robusta in the landscape. I don't know whats killing them, but they too, are important to the landscape here (though not the environment like S. palmetto). Have others noticed increasing loss of mature W. robusta in the landscape?

[redant]

I have seen a couple of mature Bismarckia drop dead in my area, didn't think much of it until I just recently was in Ft. Lauderdale and notice many that they planted on the side of I95 either dead or on there way to dead.

Edited March 15, 2012 by redant

[palmislandRandy]

I have seen a couple of mature Bismarckia drop dead in my area, didn't think much of it until I just recently was in Ft. Lauderdale and notice many that they planted on the side of I95 either dead or on there way to dead.

This is the largest Bismark in my neighborhood. It's across the street from me & very visible from my yard. The crown is collapsing & it's unfortunately on the way out due to some unknown to me malady.

[buccaneers37]

Normally it's the full grown palmettos I see (20-30 of them, at least, down a short stretch of US 41), but I have seen 2 or 3 dying that had no more than 3 feet of trunk. There were a couple of large ones down by the bypass canal and by the Buddhist temple that died that had really nice long, swooping curves & "cork screws" in the trunks. Very sad.

[Jason in Orlando]

I've seen a number of roadside juvenile palmettos dead. I chalked it up to some herbicide, but others in the same areas look untouched. Now I'm wondering if they were diseased. The dead ones literally look like someone hit them with roundup and they just went brown. Crown does not appear collapsed at all in the ones I've seen.

Jason

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

Jason, I think you were right about the ones that died but the crown didn't collapse. They were probably sprayed because they were in the fence line or a utility easement. I've seen that too.

I've seen a number of roadside juvenile palmettos dead. I chalked it up to some herbicide, but others in the same areas look untouched. Now I'm wondering if they were diseased. The dead ones literally look like someone hit them with roundup and they just went brown. Crown does not appear collapsed at all in the ones I've seen.

Jason

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

That is bad. I sure hope S. palmetto has some inherent resistance. I remember this, or a similar disease, killing nearly every Canary Island Date in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of TX back in the early 1980s.

Normally it's the full grown palmettos I see (20-30 of them, at least, down a short stretch of US 41), but I have seen 2 or 3 dying that had no more than 3 feet of trunk. There were a couple of large ones down by the bypass canal and by the Buddhist temple that died that had really nice long, swooping curves & "cork screws" in the trunks. Very sad.

[redant]

I have seen a couple of mature Bismarckia drop dead in my area, didn't think much of it until I just recently was in Ft. Lauderdale and notice many that they planted on the side of I95 either dead or on there way to dead.

This is the largest Bismark in my neighborhood. It's across the street from me & very visible from my yard. The crown is collapsing & it's unfortunately on the way out due to some unknown to me malady.

Yep, thats what they look like before croaking. I haven't noticed anything to cause this, they just croak.

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

I've heard our native Palmetto weevils think Bismarkia are the equivalent of Key Lime Pie. Mmmm Good!

Its a shame because its hard to find a plant with more presence than Bizzie.

I have seen a couple of mature Bismarckia drop dead in my area, didn't think much of it until I just recently was in Ft. Lauderdale and notice many that they planted on the side of I95 either dead or on there way to dead.

This is the largest Bismark in my neighborhood. It's across the street from me & very visible from my yard. The crown is collapsing & it's unfortunately on the way out due to some unknown to me malady.

Yep, thats what they look like before croaking. I haven't noticed anything to cause this, they just croak.

[Moose]

I have seen a couple of mature Bismarckia drop dead in my area, didn't think much of it until I just recently was in Ft. Lauderdale and notice many that they planted on the side of I95 either dead or on there way to dead.

This is the largest Bismark in my neighborhood. It's across the street from me & very visible from my yard. The crown is collapsing & it's unfortunately on the way out due to some unknown to me malady.

Randy - I recall that palm, it was looking like a specimen then. Gotta be some kind of boring weevil to create such a rather quick decline. Whatever it is, it appears to like dining on the meristem.

[redant]

I've heard our native Palmetto weevils think Bismarkia are the equivalent of Key Lime Pie. Mmmm Good!

Its a shame because its hard to find a plant with more presence than Bizzie.

I have seen a couple of mature Bismarckia drop dead in my area, didn't think much of it until I just recently was in Ft. Lauderdale and notice many that they planted on the side of I95 either dead or on there way to dead.

This is the largest Bismark in my neighborhood. It's across the street from me & very visible from my yard. The crown is collapsing & it's unfortunately on the way out due to some unknown to me malady.

Yep, thats what they look like before croaking. I haven't noticed anything to cause this, they just croak.

Seems you are correct that the palmetto weevils are probably to blame. Here is a link to a PDF file regarding palm pests from the university of Florida. http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/PestsOfPalmsInFlorida.pdf

It's very useful and helped me identify what had eaten into my bottles and spindles in the past, the rotton sugar cane borer

[Eric in Orlando]

In the last few years when I have been down in SoFL, I have seen quite a few Bismarckia dying from weevil infestations. They only seem to go after the taller ones with some bare trunk, at least from the ones I saw.

Senn a couple around here also killed by weevils.

[redant]

In the last few years when I have been down in SoFL, I have seen quite a few Bismarckia dying from weevil infestations. They only seem to go after the taller ones with some bare trunk, at least from the ones I saw.

Senn a couple around here also killed by weevils.

All the ones I have seen where mature with 10 or more feet of clear trunk. The largest one I have seen in the jupiter area was about 30ft of trunk. While going down the road it was on the other day I looked for it, it's gone.

[Eric in Orlando]

In the last few years when I have been down in SoFL, I have seen quite a few Bismarckia dying from weevil infestations. They only seem to go after the taller ones with some bare trunk, at least from the ones I saw.

Senn a couple around here also killed by weevils.

All the ones I have seen where mature with 10 or more feet of clear trunk. The largest one I have seen in the jupiter area was about 30ft of trunk. While going down the road it was on the other day I looked for it, it's gone.

UGGGH, what a shame !!!