Palm Tree Help!

[lacksagreenthumb]

Hi All,

Thank you for letting me join. This is my first post here and I hope you folks can help me.

I have a single palm tree in my front yard that has been looking more sickly as time goes by. I've never had a palm tree before and don't know where to begin.

It has the following problems:

• Yellowing
• Holes in the trunk
• Ants living in and on the tree

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

Welcome to PT !!! How long have you owned this palm ? The yellowing doesn't seem excessive from the pics. How much are you watering ? Ants aren't usually a problem for palms 

T J 

[Merlyn]

Welcome to PalmTalk!  It looks like a fairly healthy Hyophorbe Lagenicaulis, i.e. the Bottle Palm.  Depending on your climate and how the palm has been treated in the past, that plant could easily be 20+ years old.  The fact that it's flowering repeatedly means it is generally healthy, with nothing seriously wrong.  Bottles are not particularly cold hardy, taking variable leaf damage in the low 30s and burning badly below freezing.  So if you've seen a couple of nights in the low 30s, that could easily explain the yellow tips on older fronds.  I have some Bottle and Spindle palms here in the Orlando area, and the semi-sheltered ones have a bit of leaf burn like yours.  What general area do you live in?

Regarding ants, I'd treat with Amdro Ant Block or similar bait.  Carpenter ants will make a home in palms, other ants are more of a nuisance than a danger to the plant.

Brown tips on fronds can be a lack of water, or a potassium deficiency.  I zoomed in on the photo of the leaves, and the translucent yellow spots are an indicator of a potassium deficiency.  If it's been dry recently I'd give it a bit of water and a handful of "palm special" fertilizer sprinkled nearby.  Don't chuck a full handful at the base, just more or less evenly spread in about a 6 foot diameter around the palm.  Osmocote/Nutricote are preferred, but I generally use the generic HD/Lowes "palm special" fertilizers, or Lesco Palm if it's on sale. 

It looks like there may be a few woodpecker holes on the trunk, I'm not sure that is a big concern.

In summary, my guess is the yellowing is a combination of some cold damage, probably a lack of water, and a mild to moderate potassium deficiency.  A little water (don't drown it) and a little fertilizer should help immensely.

 

[Fusca]

2 hours ago, lacksagreenthumb said:

Holes in the trunk

Welcome to Palmtalk!  Looks like woodpecker damage on the trunk of your Hyophorbe.

[lacksagreenthumb]

Thank you all for your help. I'll try your suggestions. 

I bought this home 4 years ago. The palm was already here.

I'm in South Florida. 

 

[Irwin Teichman]

I have a 50’ tall palm that I trim back every year. The trunk is wrapped in the remnants of old frond  that has not been peeled away. I now have woodpeckers putting holes in the fronds from top to bottom. I don’t know if their holes are breaching the actual tree bark. I’m concerned that the stability of this tall tree maybe undermined by these woodpecker holes. Should I take action against the woodpeckers. None of the holes are large. 1” or less in diameter.

[Irwin Teichman]

 

7 minutes ago, Irwin Teichman said:

I have a 50’ tall palm that I trim back every year. The trunk is wrapped in the remnants of old frond  that has not been peeled away. I now have woodpeckers putting holes in the fronds from top to bottom. I don’t know if their holes are breaching the actual tree bark. I’m concerned that the stability of this tall tree maybe undermined by these woodpecker holes. Should I take action against the woodpeckers. None of the holes are large. 1” or less in diameter. 

[Irwin Teichman]

I believe the type of tree referenced above is a fan palm. The trunk is wrapped in remnants of the old fronds. Ie it is not a smooth surface