Cold Stunned Strap Leaf Sabal Seedlings

[NC_Palms]

It has been a heck of a week here (like everyone else in the South) and right now many of my smaller palms are buried between 3 feet of snow. I have noticed on my Sabal mexicana, Sabal miamenisis, and to a lesser extent, Sabal minor seedlings that still have their strap leaves, they look very shriveled. As if it needed water. The coldest it has gotten was about 18F, which is about typical for where I live at in NC.  But for the leaves, I am assuming this is just shock from the snow and below freezing temperatures, but should the strap leaves rejuvenate after things get warmer or should I worry? 

[Enar]

I noticed some of my Sabals in pots look dried up after the cold weather (20F daytime, z8b) and part of me is wondering if it’s a defense mechanism of the plant 

[ZPalms]

Noticed this morning when it was really cold out, trachycarpus folded its leaves slightly and looked more spindly and then when it warmed up opened its leaves back up.

[NC_Palms]

35 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

Noticed this morning when it was really cold out, trachycarpus folded its leaves slightly and looked more spindly and then when it warmed up opened its leaves back up.

This is such a relief to hear! Thank you!!

[NC_Palms]

1 hour ago, Enar said:

I noticed some of my Sabals in pots look dried up after the cold weather (20F daytime, z8b) and part of me is wondering if it’s a defense mechanism of the plant 

It very well could be. A lot of plants, even temperate species will behave similarly when it gets abnormally cold

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

10 hours ago, ZPalms said:

Noticed this morning when it was really cold out, trachycarpus folded its leaves slightly and looked more spindly and then when it warmed up opened its leaves back up.

Unless it is a long run of subfreezing temps, as was in my neck of the woods. Some of my folded fronds on my windmills will remain that way and actually become crispy this spring. It is a defense mechanism but it can be permanent in extreme cold. I'll be doing a YouTube video on this in a few days when I get a true warm up and one can see the difference, or in some cases how the fronds remain the same or similar looking after the cold event. 

[Geoff58]

I noticed, growing up in Michigan, that in extreme cold weather, the needles of white pines bunched together, and the leaves of rhododendrons curled up. When the weather warmed up, they went back to normal.

[PAPalmtrees]

On 1/23/2025 at 8:03 PM, NC_Palms said:

It has been a heck of a week here (like everyone else in the South) and right now many of my smaller palms are buried between 3 feet of snow. I have noticed on my Sabal mexicana, Sabal miamenisis, and to a lesser extent, Sabal minor seedlings that still have their strap leaves, they look very shriveled. As if it needed water. The coldest it has gotten was about 18F, which is about typical for where I live at in NC.  But for the leaves, I am assuming this is just shock from the snow and below freezing temperatures, but should the strap leaves rejuvenate after things get warmer or should I worry? 

I think they should be okay this has happened to my young sabal minors and they were fine

[NC_Palms]

12 hours ago, Zone7Bpalmguy said:

Unless it is a long run of subfreezing temps, as was in my neck of the woods. Some of my folded fronds on my windmills will remain that way and actually become crispy this spring. It is a defense mechanism but it can be permanent in extreme cold. I'll be doing a YouTube video on this in a few days when I get a true warm up and one can see the difference, or in some cases how the fronds remain the same or similar looking after the cold event. 

Oh gosh, it has been below freezing the entire week. But it will warm up here very fast this week. We are literally going from a low in the mid teens to highs in the upper 20's to 70 degree weather. 

Welcome to the South lol 

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

7 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

Oh gosh, it has been below freezing the entire week. But it will warm up here very fast this week. We are literally going from a low in the mid teens to highs in the upper 20's to 70 degree weather. 

Welcome to the South lol 

We were below freezing for 72 straight hours and an ultimate low of 10'F. My worst day was about 24'F for a high. Unfortunately I won't see 70 anytime soon, at least judging by the forecasts. 

The winter of 2022-23 I had a low of 5'F and a high of only 14'F. That cold spell pretty much defoliated my windmills but the sabal majors (what I call my trunking sabals such as Brazoria and palmetto) did pretty good despite the ridiculous cold. 

I hear ya about the weather but it beats nothing but constant cold weather and snow on the ground for months. I believe it's the warmups we get that help our chances for palms to survive, as well as the sunshine on these cold winter days in my marginal climate.

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

8 hours ago, Geoff58 said:

I noticed, growing up in Michigan, that in extreme cold weather, the needles of white pines bunched together, and the leaves of rhododendrons curled up. When the weather warmed up, they went back to normal.

Yep, it does the same even down here. My camellias and a rhododendron were curled up and arthritic looking (lol) during this last cold spell. They have since returned to normal though. I'm ready for spring!