Sylvester in trouble?

[Cajunjimbo]

Here's a few pictures of my Sylvester that we've had for about 8 years.  It's been through two mid teen freezes (most recent one in Feb '21) and has come back from both.  Over the past year or so, some of the old frond bases have started to pop off.  I had checked on here about that and was told that was not uncommon and nothing to worry about.  Now we're seeing some of the trunk break apart/flake.  Is this just due to the trunk now being exposed and ok or is there something else going on that I need to worry about?  Apologies about the picture orientation, I couldn't figure out how to rotate them.  Thanks!

[Merlyn]

The old leaf bases falling off is normal, as long as the trunk underneath is still solid.  The last photo looks like "adventitious roots" trying to grow down to find water.  If you are on Windows 10 you can just right click on the JPG in file explorer and hit "Edit" to open up in Paint.  Or use a freeware software like GIMP to rotate and save.  Anyway, I have seen adventitious roots on Sylvesters up to 2-3 feet above ground level.  One at a hotel nearby has an enormous mass of adventitious roots coming out all over the place.  Some Sylvesters do it more than others, but I think all of them do it a bit.  So it's also pretty normal.

[Cajunjimbo]

Here's an update with some different/better pictures.  The trunk now has a mass missing from both sides, one side about 5 feet up and the other side about 4 feet up.  It also has developed a lean, almost as if it's collapsing on itself.  One guy told me that the tree isn't going to make it and it's best to remove it before it falls.  What are y'all thoughts?

[aztropic]

Looks normal... The old boots eventually decay and fall off.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[Little Tex]

7 hours ago, Cajunjimbo said:

One guy told me that the tree isn't going to make it and it's best to remove it before it falls.

Would he be the person to remove it? If so I definitely would not trust him. He might be trying to make a few quick bucks.

[Cajunjimbo]

Yes Tex, he planted another palm for us and I asked him to look at it.  He commented on the lean of the trunk that had developed and the roots tearing in the trunk I pointed out in the pictures on the two sides.  I wanted to check here to get other opinions as there's a building next to the palm that could be hit if it fell in that direction so I wanted to be smart about removing it early if necessary but also don't want to remove it if this is nothing to be concerned about.

[sonoranfans]

Phoenix sylvestris doesnt like constantly wet roots.  Yes it has a wet season in india but occurs  naturally in sandy well drained soils and is drought resistant.   Aerial roots are common, I see them on healthy specimens.  I don't see any around me with chunks of trunk rotted out.   I do see some massive aerial roots, 18" up the trunk for ~ 20 year old one that looks happy.  If you do have low drainage clay, getting another one in that same unammended site may end the same way as this one.   https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR308

[Merlyn]

I've seen rot "holes" in trunks on palms where there's a sprinkler hitting it.  There used to be a 40' tall Pindo at a local nursery, it literally had a foot deep gouge in the trunk at about 5 feet in the air.  They had a big sprinkler about 6 feet from the trunk, and it was relentlessly blasting the side of the trunk every day.  That might not be the issue here, but I'd check your sprinklers and make sure none of them are directly hitting the palms.

As far as safety goes, I would take photos from a specific spot.  A curve in a trunk is normal for many (most?) palms.  But if it's actually continuing to curve and lean to the left then the trunk really may have a structural or rot problem.  If subsequent photos from the same spot show an increase in curve, then it is probably a hazard and should be cut down.  You can also check by lightly poking at it with your fingers, to see if it's soft and squishy or wet.  And sniff it...if it smells like rotting garbage then there is definitely active rot going on.  If it's dry and smells just like a plant, and isn't actively tilting over to the left...then probably it's ok and will just keep growing more aerial roots.

[Cajunjimbo]

Thanks Merlyn.  I don't have a sprinkler system so that's not the cause.  The curve is something that just recently happened, so that's why the concern.  I did check the area, and it is dry and smells normal.  I will keep an eye on the curve to see if it gets more pronounced.  

[Merlyn]

On 4/20/2022 at 3:28 PM, Cajunjimbo said:

Thanks Merlyn.  I don't have a sprinkler system so that's not the cause.  The curve is something that just recently happened, so that's why the concern.  I did check the area, and it is dry and smells normal.  I will keep an eye on the curve to see if it gets more pronounced.  

Yeah I would keep an eye on it.  Here's the local palm I was talking about earlier, it literally has adventitious roots almost 8 feet up the trunk!!!