What is going on with these palms?

[Palmaceae]

Hello all,

My collection is new and no canopy as of yet, so any cold we get its a bit more severe as I am out in the open with very little protection. So even though I am in Cape Coral I get a bit colder than normal. A couple more years I will have much more protection, as my reading in a more protected spot was a few degrees warmer.

My Latania is showing some frond damage, could these be from frost, or something else? The lowest I had in my yard is 40 degrees a couple weeks ago and I know frost can form in the 40s. The Cassava behind it lost some foliage. One of my small coconuts that is out in the open is also showing a bit of cold damage just a few spots on the older fronds.

These next picture is from my Elaeis guineensis. This is showing the newest frond and showed before the cold we had. What could be causing this? I did fertilize it heavy this summer and fall as it was very chloritic/yellow. Could it be fertilizer burn?

[Josh-O]

what was your average temp before you got to 40F? If you went from hot to cold in just a couple of days that could have burnt your fronds especially your coconut.

[Palmaceae]

The average temp was in the 60s daytime and low 40s night time (way below normal). It was an extended time at that range, 4 days or so. No drastic changes during that time or before or after.

The coconuts that are near the house or near protection are not showing any damage, just a couple coconuts near the perimeter of the yard shows a little spotting. Most of my palms are small as I just started my collection last May so most palms are out in the open.

I also have Pritchardia pacifica and Pritchardia thustonii that are not showing any damage, but they are near the house.

[Palmaceae]

Any other ideas on what happened with these palms?

[rprimbs]

Fungus???

[Ben in Norcal]

Sure looks like cold damage to me, but those temps seem awfully high to be experiencing damage like that. That said, I'm not familiar with those species.

[Palmaceae]

I am thinking the Latania may have experienced some frost, even at 40 degrees. I just wanted to confirm that or see if it could be something else, like fertilizer burn?

As for the Elaeis that damage was before the 40 degree temps we had. The new fronds open green, then turn white/yellowish then they start to show the damage in the picture.

But with fertilizer burn, does that normally show up on the older fronds and not the new ones?

Is it over watering, under watering?

[Zeeth]

Looks like damage that happens sometimes to my palms get their first winter in the ground. What happens with mine is that if they're in full sun in the early morning, the sun makes the dew evaporate rather quickly, and that sucks the heat out of the palm leaf (this is called evaporative cooling). This type of cold damage has never lead a palm of mine to die, they just look ugly for a while, but I've had it with temps as high as 50 F with coconuts and oil palms (I don't have any Latania, but I know they're pretty cold sensitive). Once they're big enough they stop getting damaged like this. I think it has something to do with having less morning dew on them when they're off of the ground a bit. I suspect that your Pritchardias get some morning shade, which is why they're not damaged.

[_Keith]

Cold and/or dehydration and/or fertilizer burn. One way of the other, its a burn.

[Palmaceae]

Looks like damage that happens sometimes to my palms get their first winter in the ground. What happens with mine is that if they're in full sun in the early morning, the sun makes the dew evaporate rather quickly, and that sucks the heat out of the palm leaf (this is called evaporative cooling). This type of cold damage has never lead a palm of mine to die, they just look ugly for a while, but I've had it with temps as high as 50 F with coconuts and oil palms (I don't have any Latania, but I know they're pretty cold sensitive). Once they're big enough they stop getting damaged like this. I think it has something to do with having less morning dew on them when they're off of the ground a bit. I suspect that your Pritchardias get some morning shade, which is why they're not damaged.

Thanks Zeeth,

This makes a lot of sense especially for the Latania. Right now there is a new frond opening on the Elaeis and it is green, hopefully it will stay that way but normally it looks like it gets burned once it fully opens.