Can It Be Too Hot For Palms To Grow?

[mjff]

June was the hottest month ever here with an average temperature over 88F (highs in the low-mid 100's and lows in the upper 70's-lower 80's almost everyday). Many of my palms started recovering from being defoliated in February, but have stopped growing now. Is it just too hot? They are on irrigation, and the ground under the gravel/landscape fabric is staying moist. The only thing I can figure is they need it a little cooler. Normally in June we would be about 10 degrees cooler than we were, and the palms would be growing like crazy.

[DoomsDave]

The short answer, is "yes" though it also depends on species.

Some palms like Trachies and Rhopies prefer cool weather and cease growth when it gets too hot.

Many others like plenty of heat, like Bizzies, Phoenix etc.

I'm curious to see what you've observed on your plants.

I'll be July will be just as hot. Take some measurements, mark some spears and see what happens! Then tell us.

[mjff]

June was the hottest month in recorded history, so odds are July and August will be cooler. The high that has been parked on top of us has moved off, so as long as another doesn't set up shop...

My trunking Trachys all died, smaller ones with growing points at ground level are still ok.

Nothing else seems to be growing at all. Washingtonias look the same as they did at the end of May, Jubaeas have done nothing, Braheas nada, Sabals zip. The Butias, Allagopteras and CIDP's appear to be growing, slowly. Really needed a lot of growth this summer, but it just isn't happening.

[mlovecan]

Absolutely! When we have major heat waves ( 2-3 weeks of 45 degrees with the odd 50-51 somehwere in there ) some species get this look and then start to decline ( simular to the effet of frost which we fortunatly don't get ).

I've lost the following species to heat:

Triangles

all Lord Howe Island species

Nikau palms

a few others.

Regards

Maurice

[sonoranfans]

June was the hottest month in recorded history, so odds are July and August will be cooler. The high that has been parked on top of us has moved off, so as long as another doesn't set up shop...

My trunking Trachys all died, smaller ones with growing points at ground level are still ok.

Nothing else seems to be growing at all. Washingtonias look the same as they did at the end of May, Jubaeas have done nothing, Braheas nada, Sabals zip. The Butias, Allagopteras and CIDP's appear to be growing, slowly. Really needed a lot of growth this summer, but it just isn't happening.

My last year in arizona it was an average of 98F in july, hotter than you have seen. Bizzies, brahea armatas,phoenix and washies all like the heat as long as the water is consistent and goes through a dry cycle(they dont like being soggy), that is not your problem with them. I also had a trachy that was 10' overall, it was in shade but was fine, though slower in the heat. Sabals also like the heat if they are wet enough, I had bermudana, uresana, and blackburniana(sp??). Butias do not like heat, they grow faster with high temps in the 80's in arizona. If brahea armatas are not growing, it isnt the heat for sure. It could be that the roots are not dry cycling. I had magnificent armatas in arizona go through that (88f+ average ) heat every year and they laugh at it. A healthy, well fed armata in AZ will push at least a dozen fronds a year, and they don't slow down in heat, once it gets a foot or two of trunk.

[monkeyranch]

Most of my Braheas (except edulis) love the hottest weather, putting on the best growth with highs over 90 deg F. Maybe the Palm Springs/Phoenix/Arizona contingency will weigh in. P. dactliferas thrive in Death Valley. My Trachy's seem to stall in the hottest times, growing strongest in the spring and fall. Maybe you lost some root connections at the growing base during your last winter's brutal cold. Perhaps they need to recover some roots before they can keep up with the heat. Man, central-west Texas sure has had an extreme year. I feel for ya.

Edited July 6, 2011 by monkeyranch

[mjff]

They are pretty much on the same watering schedule as last year, which was also pretty hot. You might be on to something with the lost roots theory. I'm sure a lot of the roots around the perimeter froze.

February was brutal. The beginning of the month saw the worst freeze in 20+ years and by the end of the month we were already seeing 90's for highs. It has been a ridiculous year for weather out here. On top of that I've had less than 2" of rain in the last 9 months.

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Everything I have is growing good.

So far in July, Modesto's average high has been 101f and low 68f. :drool:

Even my Parajubea Cocoides seems to be still growing. Could be that our dewpoints are kinda high for inland ca... 58f to 63f .

Jeff

[sonoranfans]

These armatas love heat(taken just after the hottest july on record in phoenix arizona @ 98F average 2 years ago). 15 days in july 2009 exceeded a 110F high. If there are tougher palms in the heat, they are probably hyphene or medemia. Bizzies are also tough, though not as tough as armatas in my experience as they do slow down a bit(stall in spears opening) over 110F. The degree and duration of cold that texas experienced this year is well beyond anything that arizona has ever seen.

Edited July 6, 2011 by sonoranfans

[BS Man about Palms]

My biggest Hedyscepe doesn't seem to want to open its last leaf... not sure if its because of the heat here. Newer spear seems to be pushing though...