Butia capitata

[Kathryn]

A friend sent me these pictures of his Butia capitata that has reddish brown spots. I think it was planted about a year ago and had some of the spots already. He used a small amount of palm fertilizer when he planted it and just recently applied some more.

I figured it was some type of deficiency, but I'm not good with identifying deficiencies or fungus problems. Any ideas?

[Nigel]

kathryn,

I had one that did that same thing, and I tried everything to stop it.

In the end I concluded it was caused by cold weather because it was always at its worst in spring after Jack Frost had whacked it many times with non fatal freezes.

In the end I dug it up and replaced it and the new one is untouched.

Maybe somebody else knows exactly what the cause is, but I am sure that if the cold isnt directly causing it, then it is the catalyst.

[alex_7b]

It looks like cold damage. Where does the palm reside?

[Kathryn]

The palm is located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain about 35 miles north of New Orleans. It probably has not been below 20ºF during the last few years. I doubt that it was at a nursery much further north so it shouldn’t be cold damage. I always thought cold damage would eventually turn brown like a dried leaf. This is more of a reddish brown like a deficiency or fungus.

I just noticed Roger’s post on a Butia. It looks like he might have the same brown spots but also has several other things going on. One frond looks brown like regular aging or maybe cold damage. Most of the fronds are yellow, which could be from cold, too much water, etc.?

The palm I posted looks healthy other than the reddish brown spotting.

[Nigel]

Kathryn, it almost never goes below 20F here either. Some Butias are just more cold sensitive.

The Butia in the other thread looks a goner to me. The dead leaves are all to one side suggesting the possibility that a lethal pathogen is slowly spreading thorugh the woody tissue at the base.

Your damage is entiely different.