Dead Palm Trees Owners Club (Houston, Dallas: homes, safer, move)

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

Mexican Fan Palm Trees (kind of Miami style).

Mexican fan palms (washingtonia robusta) are more of drier climate/desert palms, rather than the deeper tropical species found in Miami. The native range is the GoC region of northwestern Mexico (i.e. Baja Peninsula, states of Sonora and Sinaloa, etc), a dry coastal area — this gives them decent tolerance of humidity compared to their northerly cousins in Arizona/California (washingtonia filifera), which is why they are able to grow very well in Texas (winter freezes aside).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washingtonia_robusta

[kemahkami]

If you want more bulletproof tall palms in Houston, then look no further than the sabal palmetto native to the Atlantic Southeast (from Florida up through southern North Carolina). They also have close cousins in Southern Texas.

Sabal palmetto is hardy to USDA zone 8, and has been reported to have some cold hardness down to 8.6 °F or −13.0 °C, but needs hot and humid summers to grow well. Maintenance of the cabbage palm tree is very easy and very adaptable. The cabbage palmetto is known to tolerate drought, standing water and brackish water. Even though this palm is drought-tolerant, it thrives on regular light watering and regular feeding. It is highly tolerant of salt winds, but not saltwater flooding

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabal_...to#Description

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by kemahkami

Mexican fan palms (washingtonia robusta) are more of drier climate/desert palms, rather than the deeper tropical species found in Miami. The native range is the GoC region of northwestern Mexico (i.e. Baja Peninsula, states of Sonora and Sinaloa, etc), a dry coastal area — this gives them decent tolerance of humidity compared to their northerly cousins in Arizona/California (washingtonia filifera), which is why they are able to grow very well in Texas (winter freezes aside).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washingtonia_robusta

I have Mexican palm trees. Period.

I'm thinking what if the landscaping guy did some trickery to my trees when he was trimming them? I didn't trim the trees myself. Maybe he knows some tricks how to make them dormant for a long time so homeowners will think they are dead and call him again for the complete removal.
He trimmed my neighbor's trees as well. Same species. Most of them came back, but some are still looking dead. Maybe that was staged intentionally.

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

I have Mexican palm trees. Period.

I know. Just adding in good detail.

I'm thinking what if the landscaping guy did some trickery to my trees when he was trimming them? I didn't trim the trees myself. Maybe he knows some tricks how to make them dormant for a long time so homeowners will think they are dead and call him again for the complete removal.
He trimmed my neighbor's trees as well. Same species. Most of them came back, but some are still looking dead. Maybe that was staged intentionally.

Many seemingly inconsequential factors that are huge when it comes to the specimen that pull through and look fine, those that still look weaker, and those that still look "dormant."

Could very well be a "landscaping trick." Or some other factor — do you have a north-facing house by any chance?

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by kemahkami

I know. Just adding in good detail.



Many seemingly inconsequential factors that are huge when it comes to the specimen that pull through and look fine, those that still look weaker, and those that still look "dormant."

Could very well be a "landscaping trick." Or some other factor — do you have a north-facing house by any chance?

Thanks. Yes north facing but it's not the only one, so I don't think that's the case. I see many other houses facing north, and their palm trees survived just fine.

Somewhere I read that if you cut something on very top of the palm tree, you will damage it badly. I don't know if that's true.

[Htown2013]

Sabals do well in the entire Houston metro area and Mexican fan palms (Washingtonian robusta/filibusta) do well in most parts of Houston. Houston is a solid zone 9a. I think sabals are zone 8a and the Mexican Fan are zone 8b. Fine for Houston. I would not permanently change long term landscaping because of one freak event. That said, we can and expect to get freezes down to our zone 9a range, and would not plant anything less hardy than that.

[Htown2013]

Originally Posted by Htown2013

Sabals do well in the entire Houston metro area and Mexican fan palms (Washingtonian robusta/filibusta) do well in most parts of Houston. Houston is a solid zone 9a. I think sabals are zone 8a and the Mexican Fan are zone 8b. Fine for Houston. I would not permanently change long term landscaping because of one freak event. That said, we can and expect to get freezes down to our zone 9a range, and would not plant anything less hardy than that.

Well I feel foolish. Houston WAS a beautiful lush subtropical zone 9A. But with subsequent cold snaps, were a 8B at best. Houston will never look the same in my lifetime. Makes me sad.

Hope at least Ercot and the grid holds so people don't lose power and pipes.

[Ghost Town]

I'm not planning to replant my palm trees. Initially they were one of the deciding factors for buying this house. Unfortunately they all died in 2021. In the end I got a good deal on the dead trees removal.

[Htown2013]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

I'm not planning to replant my palm trees. Initially they were one of the deciding factors for buying this house. Unfortunately they all died in 2021. In the end I got a good deal on the dead trees removal.

Yup. You and many countless others. Houston will never look the same anytime soon.

Sabals, sagos, & windmills still OK though. All zone 8....

[Htown2013]

What should we do with our defoliated palms to give best chance of revival? When temps increase well above freezing, say Tuesday or Wednesday is the recommendation to still remove dead fronds and apply fungicide at the crown? Should we wait a few days after warming?