What's wrong with my palm? What to do?

[jibit3]

My wife and I just bought a new house in New Orleans with two palm trees in the front yard. This is the first time I have ever owned palm trees. Unfortunately, one of the two palms started to lose a considerable amount of bark from around its trunk.

I did some research and the only thing I was able to find as to why this may be happening was freezing weather which would damage the palm and create oppurtunities for fungal and bacterial growth. I'm not sure if this is the case, but we had temperatures drop to as low as 20 degrees fahrenheit recently and a considerable amount of wind.

I sprayed each palm tree with "Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide".

What's wrong with my palm and what can I do to help it out?

Thank you in advance.

[Jimhardy]

What you mentioned is one possibility,another

is that it was damaged while being loaded/transported etc.

[Pando]

It's a goner. You can't repair the trunk. It will eventually just slowly get worse and eventually die. The process has already started.

Good news is that it's just a queen palm. Nothing rare, so either stick another one in the ground as they are fast, or get some other species (not sure what you can grow in your climate though).

[jibit3]

Thank you both. Your wisdom is very much appreciated. 

Any recommendations for a Louisiana palm which is hardy and fast growing?

[Jdiaz31089]

Mule palms should be fairly easy to get from Florida and look 1000 times better than queen in my opinion.

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

6 hours ago, jibit3 said:

Thank you both. Your wisdom is very much appreciated. 

Any recommendations for a Louisiana palm which is hardy and fast growing?

try a livistonia or sabal uresna or a canary island date palm.  a 40+ft sabal would look nice too  another queen wouldn't hurt though.  

[Josh-O]

A mule palm would do great.

plant something that your neighbors don't have growing

[Xenon]

10 hours ago, jibit3 said:

Thank you both. Your wisdom is very much appreciated. 

Any recommendations for a Louisiana palm which is hardy and fast growing?

Nothing grows as fast as a queen palm except Washingtonia robusta (tall fan palm with the skinny trunk). Odds of a queen palm dying from a freeze in New Orleans are not too high, great palm growing climate you have there. Another fast growing palm is Livistona decora...there are some specimens at Harrah's casino or in the general vicinity. Medium sized fan palm with a skinny trunk and very droopy/wispy fan shaped leaves. 

Edited February 8, 2017 by Xenon

[Plantasexoticas]

I've seen large phoenix palms in Minorca where large chunks of the trunk had rotted away, the people there had filled the rotted sections with what looks like cement. It meant the palms looked superficially OK. I don't know how long they had been like that and whether it helps with the original problem but the rest of the palm seemed OK. 

[Brad Mondel]

I've seen palms with damaged trunks live very long lives, the only issue is that the wind can snap them during a storm because they're top heavy. 

[topwater]

I'm surprised it got down to 20f in New Orleans, I thought it was pretty much 9b there.  

[Walt]

Does the yard have sprinkler irrigation around the palm? It's possible that the former owner rain the irrigation system during a freeze, wetting the trunk, which caused the damage. Also, constant irrigation on a palm's trunk to where the trunk never dries out can cause that kind of damage, especially on the north side of the trunk where it wouldn't get sun to help dry it out.

[Tropicdoc]

I don't think it went down to 20..... unless your on the north shore. More like 27. It was 25 or 26 over here in Houma. Livistonia chinensis Phoenix dactylifera butyagruas trachycarpus queens are all good palms for New Orleans. Or hang around on this site and find some rarities like butia x parajubaea or butia x polyandrococos!

[jibit3]

Thanks for all the responses! 

I left the palm in place until I was ready to do the landscaping for our yard. That project is now under way and I think i'll be replacing the damaged/dead Queen Palm with another Queen or Mule Palm.

Admittedly, I was surprised my queen palm didn't die in the last four months. Despite the trunk getting worse, it actually looks like it may be trying to grow some (pictures attached). Before I tear it down, is everybody still of the opinion to tear it out and replace it?

I don't know much about palms and you all have been a great resource. Thank you again!

[Sanips]

I'd chop it down. It's anymore a matter of open door for deseases or aesthetically ugly, it's a matter about stability. It has good odds to collapse by its own crown weight.

[Patrick]

Wow, that trunk looks really bad. It's amazing it is still standing. It looks like, what, 75% of the trunk is gone?

 

I would say go for the Mule palm if you can. They're getting easier to get these days and they look great. Enjoy the queen palms in your neighbor's yards

 

[jibit3]

Thank you both!

The trunk is about 75% gone. I have been joking with my wife i'd take care of the palm once it's on the ground. The darn thing hasn't fallen yet, lol.

Haven't decided on Queen or Mule yet, but both are very good recommendations!