Will Date palm trees be back in Houston/ Galveston city landscape? (Bellaire: live, malls)

[PalmTreesIsLife]

I have noticed that nearly all Date Palm trees along major boulevards and Malls across Houston and Galveston has been removed since the deep freeze of winter 2021. I understand it had to be removed as they were dead and hazardous, but it has been over a year since the freeze and still have not been replaced. It got me wondering, will the city ever replant them? Or is it the end of Date palm trees in Houston/Galveston

[airdrawndagger]

I doubt the city will replant anything close to a mature palm as it's very expensive to do so. Potentially plant seedlings, but I get the feeling that many residents and commercial property owners will replant with something more cold-hardy (if at all) because it wasn't cheap to get the dead palms removed after the freeze.

Also, date palms are not native to the Houston area... probably best to replant with a native variety like Sabal

[PalmTreesIsLife]

Originally Posted by airdrawndagger

I doubt the city will replant anything close to a mature palm as it's very expensive to do so. Potentially plant seedlings, but I get the feeling that many residents and commercial property owners will replant with something more cold-hardy (if at all) because it wasn't cheap to get the dead palms removed after the freeze.

Also, date palms are not native to the Houston area... probably best to replant with a native variety like Sabal

Oh well thats pretty unfortunate knowing that the deep freeze was a once in a life time event. Hopefully in the next 5 + years or so , Mature date palms will be available again in Local Palm Nurseries so it can be more affordable as it use to pre freeze. But as you said, seeding and/or sabal palms will likely be the solution.


Thanks for the reply!

[Htown2013]

Originally Posted by PalmTreesIsLife

Oh well thats pretty unfortunate knowing that the deep freeze was a once in a life time event. Hopefully in the next 5 + years or so , Mature date palms will be available again in Local Palm Nurseries so it can be more affordable as it use to pre freeze. But as you said, seeding and/or sabal palms will likely be the solution.


Thanks for the reply!

Date palms will probably be back in Galveston and Clear Lake. Saw some being planted in Clear Lake recently. Probably much less in other areas of Houston.

Galveston actually has the USDA hardiness zone to support Queen Palms. Other areas do not.

[Htown2013]

Originally Posted by airdrawndagger

I doubt the city will replant anything close to a mature palm as it's very expensive to do so. Potentially plant seedlings, but I get the feeling that many residents and commercial property owners will replant with something more cold-hardy (if at all) because it wasn't cheap to get the dead palms removed after the freeze.

Also, date palms are not native to the Houston area... probably best to replant with a native variety like Sabal

Fan palms and queen palms are CHEAP. Fan palms recovered nicely in most areas south of I10. Queen palms better suited to Galveston and maybe Clear Lake but they are cheap so why not try.

The date palms were actually starting to recover nicely last April, noticeably faster than the fan palms, but then we got the fluke 9" rainstorm in May followed by getting really hot that did them in.

[TexasTallest]

Originally Posted by PalmTreesIsLife

Oh well thats pretty unfortunate knowing that the deep freeze was a once in a life time event. Hopefully in the next 5 + years or so , Mature date palms will be available again in Local Palm Nurseries so it can be more affordable as it use to pre freeze. But as you said, seeding and/or sabal palms will likely be the solution.


Thanks for the reply!

What makes you say the deep freeze was a once in a lifetime event? How many supposably “100/1000 year floods” has Houston had within a matter of years?

[WRM20]

I could not care less whether trashy palm trees that are not native are replanted. They are ugly, shed leaves like crazy, and provide no benefit.

[airdrawndagger]

Originally Posted by TexasTallest

What makes you say the deep freeze was a once in a lifetime event? How many supposably “100/1000 year floods” has Houston had within a matter of years?

I have to agree. Those of us who lived in Houston during '70s and '80s will remember a number of very cold winters, most memorably the Dec 1989 freeze, which was colder than last year's (though I don't remember as many power outages back then). There was another cold snap in the early 80s that was bad too.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by WRM20

I could not care less whether trashy palm trees that are not native are replanted. They are ugly, shed leaves like crazy, and provide no benefit.

I don't mind palm trees, but I like them better in Galveston and near Clear Lake rather than River Oaks.

Also, a landscaper once told me that palm trees attract those big tree roaches. I took them out of my landscape years ago...I prefer more native plants.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by TexasTallest

What makes you say the deep freeze was a once in a lifetime event? How many supposably “100/1000 year floods” has Houston had within a matter of years?

Palms used to be pretty prevalent in Bellaire and south of 610 in the 70s, but there were some freezes in the 70s and 80s which killed almost all of them off.