Licuala grandis

[96720]

I planted this out in late fall I thought that the winter sun wouldn’t be so bad but I think this is sunburn and not cold damage what do others think? I put it back in the greenhouse to recover and I think I will find a spot in deeper shade!!!

[peachy]

I saw photos of them growing in full sun as street trees in Fiji, so naturally I tried it and fried it.  Mine have survived some very cold nights over the years in spite of their reputation for cold sensitivity. My theory ? Maybe on tropical islands, their natural habitat, the high humidity keeps them from sun damage. We have very high humidity here too but the sun is lethal to them so they are now a shade baby only.

Peachy

[Merlyn]

Hard to say for sure, but if the palm saw anywhere close to 32F then it could be cold damage.  I saw similar-looking damage when my Grandis saw temperatures around 28-30ish.  The main reason I suspect cold is that it's the ends of the leaves that are burnt.  With sunburn the worst damage is usually on the most horizontal surface, i.e. the surface facing the sun at it's hottest point.

[bubba]

I am trying to remember the name of the Doctor in Miami, who has an incredible and extremely large Red Sealing Wax palm. There was a PRA after the unusual 2010 South Florida extended cold (60/35 for 5 straight days) in March 2010. The Doctor's garden is absolutely magnificent!

The odd thing to me was that notwithstanding the lack of damage to the large Red Sealing Wax palm, numerous Licuala grandis in his garden looked surprisingly wounded. Not as bad as the pictured palm but definitely suffering. Although they likely survived, they took more damage from those conditions than the Red Sealing Wax!

By your zip code, I am assuming that you are in California or out West. I know that this past winter was on the cold side for you folks. Even if you did not experience a freeze, it can be the long succession of relatively cold days and nights that damages these sensitive palms from Fiji. Florida can have a freeze but the normal bounce back to warm temperatures is quick ( function of latitude-25/26 v 33/34). This was not the case for So. Fla.in 2010 and that is what makes the January 2010 cold spell out of the ordinary for us ( no freeze but 55/60 highs followed by low 30 lows but no freeze).

[bubba]

Dr. Mark Friedman! What a spectacular garden!

[96720]

Thanks for all the input thankfully it did survive I will plant it in deeper shade come fall I think the deeper in the jungle it is will also help with cold weather!!!  @bubba by the way I’m in Phoenix!!

[SeanK]

10 hours ago, bubba said:

I am trying to remember the name of the Doctor in Miami, who has an incredible and extremely large Red Sealing Wax palm. There was a PRA after the unusual 2010 South Florida extended cold (60/35 for 5 straight days) in March 2010. The Doctor's garden is absolutely magnificent!

The odd thing to me was that notwithstanding the lack of damage to the large Red Sealing Wax palm, numerous Licuala grandis in his garden looked surprisingly wounded. Not as bad as the pictured palm but definitely suffering. Although they likely survived, they took more damage from those conditions than the Red Sealing Wax!

By your zip code, I am assuming that you are in California or out West. I know that this past winter was on the cold side for you folks. Even if you did not experience a freeze, it can be the long succession of relatively cold days and nights that damages these sensitive palms from Fiji. Florida can have a freeze but the normal bounce back to warm temperatures is quick ( function of latitude-25/26 v 33/34). This was not the case for So. Fla.in 2010 and that is what makes the January 2010 cold spell out of the ordinary for us ( no freeze but 55/60 highs followed by low 30 lows but no freeze).

I'll have to remember this when someone says SoFL is "tropical".

[Merlyn]

9 hours ago, 96720 said:

Thanks for all the input thankfully it did survive I will plant it in deeper shade come fall I think the deeper in the jungle it is will also help with cold weather!!!  @bubba by the way I’m in Phoenix!!

Close to the house (6 feet or less) is also worth about 2-3F as long as it's not super windy.  "Deep in the jungle" is the coldest spot in my yard, but that's because it's slightly lower than the house and is a cold sink.  On a windy cold front it's not much different than the front yard or near the house.  But on a still night I've datalogged it about 3F colder.  Just something to keep in mind in future placement!

[96720]

My main jungle is probably 20’ higher than the house and pretty close to my waterfall and stream so I think it’s probably the warmest place in my yard I do have a thermometer in the jungle I will have to watch it closer this winter!!

[bubba]

2010 January 5-11(?) was South Florida Siberia.

[bTL]

On 6/11/2023 at 9:38 PM, bubba said:

Dr. Mark Friedman! What a spectacular garden!

Mark Friedman? I think you're thinking of Dr. Jeff Block