Many of us in Fort Myers, Florida, have palms growing in our yards. Palms are renowned for their resilience to heat and strong winds, so you’ll regularly find them in landscapes, streets, and along roadway medians.
As you may know, coconut palms and cabbage palms are our state symbols. What many of you may not know is that palms aren’t trees and that there are only 12 palm tree species that are native to Florida. Other palm species were imported either from Asia or South America and have been naturalized on our shores.
Read on to learn more about palms, and get ready to go in-depth on cabbage palms, our state’s symbol.
What Are Palms?
Before solving the mystery of whether palms are trees or grasses, we need to get on the same page about the essential characteristics of trees.
All plants can be broadly divided into two categories: monocots and dicots. This division is based on the features of seeds. Monocots have seeds with only one embryonic leaf inside, while dicots have two embryonic leaves. Palms are monocots. This fact checks one box in favor of classifying palms as grasses rather than trees.
Next, all trees have bark. Palms don’t. Their inside and outside are the same. So, you won’t be able to tell a palm’s age by counting the number of growth rings. This is another reason why they have more in common with bamboo, corn, and rice rather than with trees.
Anatomy of Palm Trees
As we mentioned, the trunks of palm trees are not the same as those of real trees. Trees have feed networks in their trunks that form growth rings. Palms have scattered palm bundles in their stems that communicate with the help of conductive tissues and lots of separate vascular strands.
Palm leaves consist of the first parts, known as fronds, which can be divided into the sheath and the petiole. The second part of any palm leaf is known as the blade (a.k.a. lamina), which is essentially the expanded green area.
Palm trees can be classified based on how they grow. They can either be solitary or clumping. While solitary palm trees require little care once established, they are more susceptible to damage from hurricanes than clumping palms, which are palm tree species with multiple trunks that share a common base.
Another difference between palm trees is the type of their fronds. Two basic types are pinnate and palmate. Pinnate fronds are reminiscent of feathers, while palmate fronds remind our fingers spread out from the palms of our hands.
The Cabbage Palm: a Study by Tree Care Experts in Fort Myers
The Historical and Cultural Significance of Cabbage Palms
Now, let’s take a closer look at the cabbage palm (also called the Sabal Palm)—Florida native and our state symbol. As we mentioned in a previous blog, it’s one of the best trees to plant during spring in Southwest Florida.
The cabbage palm plays an important role in Florida’s ecosystem because it is home to a variety of animals and birds, including bats, caracaras, cardinals, crows, possums, raccoons and more. That’s why our tree care experts in Fort Myers believe that taking proper care of your cabbage palms is paramount.
Tips on Proper Pruning from Tree Care Experts in Fort Myers
A common mistake homeowners make with a DIY approach is over-pruning cabbage palms. You may assume that the lower fronds that are turning brown aren’t important. This isn’t so! Cabbage palms rely on these fronds as sources of nutrients.
Our tree care experts in Fort Myers do not recommend a DIY approach to pruning your cabbage palm. A rule of thumb is removing only the foliage that hangs below the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock plane. At Joshua Tree Inc., our tree care experts in Fort Myers have bucket lift trucks and specialized equipment, such as pruning shears and saws, to remove this foliage without damaging the stem of your cabbage palm.
If a hurricane is approaching, performing a hurricane pruning cut may be necessary since strong winds may turn cabbage palms’ fronds into hazards. When performing this hurricane pruning cut, it is essential to not remove all the leaves to maintain a source of nutrition.
There are three types of cuts: 9 to 3 look, 10 to 2 cut, and a hurricane pruning cut. These are distinguished by the frequency of pruning intervals. At Joshua Tree Inc., our tree care experts are ready to help you prepare your cabbage palm to withstand the challenges of the hurricane season.
Health of Cabbage Palms
Now, let’s go over lethal bronzing, its signs, and how to manage it.
Lethal bronzing disease is caused by a phytoplasma. Without getting too much into biology, phytoplasmas are a unique type of bacteria with no cell walls, so they can’t survive outside hosts. They are transported to palm trees by planthoppers and leafhoppers that feed on palm trees’ sap.
Phytoplasmas feed on the sap and cause the apical meristems of palms to die. Our tree care experts can help you identify signs of lethal bronzing disease, which include:
-Premature fruit drop
-Necrosis of flowers
-Leaf discoloration
Unfortunately, there’s no cure for lethal bronzing, which is why our tree care experts in Fort Myers will help you with your palm tree removal if it tests positive. Tree removal is essential because insects that feed on the sap of an infected palm can transmit the disease to neighboring palms.
In terms of management, our tree care experts in Fort Myers recommend preventative antibiotic injections.
At Joshua Tree Inc., we are committed to helping homeowners maintain the beauty of their yards. We offer tree pruning and tree care services in Fort Myers and beyond. Contact us today!