Palms - Cold Damage and Replacements

Earlier this winter, I sent an e-mail regarding an EDIS document available on “Cold Damage on Palms:  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg318.

 

Judging by the severity of the recent weather event, palm death is quite possible, especially for palms that really are not appropriate for some areas of north Florida.  There is another EDIS document that describes “Palms for North Florida:  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep359”    I know availability can be an issue, but this might be a good time to remind people that:

 

1)      there are other choices of palm species for cooler climates than what was originally planted in their development

2)      diversity is the key to maintaining a healthy landscape – both diversity of palm species and diversity of hardwood tree species and a mixture of the two groups

3)      if you don’t ask for a particular plant, nobody is going to grow it in the nursery industry – i.e., there has to be a demand.  If enough people start asking about a particular palm species, hopefully the industry might alter what they grow.  And for nursery growers who may be losing palms in this weather, this might be their chance to change their stock.

4)      below are links to chapters of the International Palm Society located in north Florida, southeastern U.S. and Gulf Coast  - these chapters often have palm sales and a lot of experience regarding what can be grown in our cooler climates

 

http://www.palms.org/chapters/florida_first_coast_chapter.cfm

http://www.palms.org/chapters/southeastern_us.cfm

http://www.palms.org/chapters/gulf_of_mexico.cfm

 

Keep warm!

 

Regards,

Monica

 

***********************************

Monica L. Elliott, Ph.D.

Professor of Plant Pathology

Acting Center Co-Director

University of Florida – IFAS

Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center

3205 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale (Davie), FL 33314

Phone: 954.577.6315    E-mail: melliott@ufl.edu