Dead Palms (El Paso, Alamo: homes, neighborhoods, subdivision)

[SA2EP?]

I've come to the conclusion that El Paso is going to be home to many dead palm trees for a while because it doesn't look like people are going to be pulling them up anytime soon.

[Socor]

Are the palms dead dead? Like there's no hope they'll come back?

[Gary Siete]

I think most are waiting to see if they show any life in spring. It will be good year for El Paso nurseries.
Friends have already had knocks on the door by roving gardeners in old pickups offering to take down the trees.
El Paso palm trees have always looked sad and out of place - hopefully better/different trees will replace them.

[Lucidus]

It is so sad, all the dead palms across west Texas and northern Mexico, but it is worth leaving them in the ground for now, botanists say they could still come back even if takes till mid or late summer.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by Gary Siete

I think most are waiting to see if they show any life in spring. It will be good year for El Paso nurseries.
Friends have already had knocks on the door by roving gardeners in old pickups offering to take down the trees.
El Paso palm trees have always looked sad and out of place - hopefully better/different trees will replace them.

I very much agree--sad and out of place pretty much says it all.

I hope they are replaced with a more appropriate tree--and that goes for Alamogordo, too. They really look horrible here.

[malamute]

Older parts of town don't look so bad but some neighborhoods look dreadful because all they have are palm trees. Drive around and you see green pines and trees in bloom but then you come up on neigborhoods with all dead looking palm trees.

I don't understand the palm trees. They don't provide shade and they really don't look as nice as other trees here.

[joqua]

Originally Posted by malamute

I don't understand the palm trees. They don't provide shade and they really don't look as nice as other trees here.

At one time there were MANY Chinese Elms in El Paso that thrived back when it was possible to do more watering. Elm disease took out most of them. Then for awhile mulberry trees were planted with great success, but they now have been banned because of being blamed for respiratory diseases/allergies. Various imported pines have done well and seem to not require the degree of watering other species require. And I know of several homes that have huge Texas oak trees that have done well in the sandy soils of east El Paso. Mexican elders are one of my favorites, but they usually are more stunted than stately. There are some older neighborhoods where cypress still exist. Lombardy populars were once more prevalent in the upper and lower valley areas - Ranchland subdivision, for example.

[john gunn]

What percentage of the palm trees died in EP and the surrounding area this winter? Did any survive?

[Gary Siete]

Originally Posted by john gunn

What percentage of the palm trees died in EP and the surrounding area this winter? Did any survive?

I think it's almost 100%. I haven't seen a single palm that doesn't look dead. We won't know for sure until we're into April or May.

[mistabinks]

It seems the established and larger ones are fine. Mine are about 30 feet high and the branches look healthy. We shall see.