Palm tree hazards

[Banana Belt]

Many books talk about and list the hazards of various Palms "Betrock's Landscape Palms by Alan W. Meerow".   Hazards such as spines, thorns and other plant hazards. 

Recently I experienced an incidence while standing under one of my Jubaea Palms when I heard something above me in the Palm, I looked up and saw a large leaf falling away from the trunk.  I stepped to the side when THUD, the leave hit the ground where I had been standing.  The leaf weighed about 35 pounds and fell 10 feet before hitting the ground.  Perhaps if the leaf had hit me I might not have been hurt to much, but as the tree grows taller, about 1.5 feet per year, it will soon be tall enough to drop leaves from dangerous heights. 

Books list many Palm hazards, but I have not read about this one. 

What hazards have you experienced in Palms?

Edited September 22, 2022 by Banana Belt
spelling

[Fusca]

8 minutes ago, Banana Belt said:

Many books talk about and list the hazards of various Palms "Betrock's Landscape Palms by Alan W. Meerow".   Hazards such as spines, thorns and other plant hazards. 

Recently I experienced an incidence while standing under one of my Jubaea Palms when I heard something above me in the Palm, I looked up and saw a large leaf falling away from the trunk.  I stepped to the side when THUD, the leave hit the ground where I had been standing.  The leaf weighed about 35 pounds and fell 10 feet before hitting the ground.  Perhaps if the leaf had hit me I might not have been hurt to much, but as the tree grows taller, about 1.5 feet per year, it will soon be tall enough to drop leaves from dangerous heights. 

Books list many Palm hazards, but I have not read about this one. 

What hazards have you experienced in Palms?

Falling fronds is certainly a hazard as you have described - we typically hear about Roystonia fronds which can weigh 50 lbs but adding the petiole thorns of Washingtonia or Livistona saribus to plummeting leaves adds to the potential danger!  I think one of the least talked about palm hazards are with the fruits.  Falling coconuts are an obvious problem but so are thousands of marble-like Archontophoenix fruits under foot - especially on a driveway - causing a tripping hazard.  Juicy and sweet Syagrus or Butia fruits are attractive to stinging insects in addition to rodents.  And the undersides of fan palm leaves are perfect places for wasps to build nests.  But forgetting about hidden thorns/spines in unexpected places (like on Phoenix roebelenii with its soft leaflets) while trimming can be a serious problem!

[awkonradi]

Good to see pictures of happy, healthy Jubaea in the Harbor/Brookings OR area.  Thank you for posting!

[miamicuse]

Coconut palms planted over swimming pools and drop bowling ball size nuts from 50' feet high is not fun if one hits someone's head.