What's going on with my neighbors Butia

[Keys6505]

As the title says, my next door neighbor has this Butia right in front of his house.  It's been there as long as I've been here, so at least 6 years.  It's always looked decent but over the past month or 2 the crown flattened out.  Nothing has browned or yellowed but that new spear has been holding steady for awhile now without much movement.  I have a lot of trees not very far from this one, anything I should be worried about spreading?

[Harry’s Palms]

I don’t think you have anything to be too concerned about . It is winter and I don’t know what your climate is there , but it may just have slowed down due to weather . From what I can see it looks pretty good . It is kind of scrunched in though. These get pretty big with a wide spread . I wouldn’t have planted it that close but that’s just me . I have planted palms very close to my house , but not large , thorny ones like that. Harry

This was planted as a strap leaf seedling about 25 years ago , maybe more. I am glad I didn’t plant it next to my house!! The fronds reach out almost 8’ from the trunk in some places. The teeth on the petiole will tear into your skin. 

[Keys6505]

Yeah, I agree its way too close.  We haven't had any freezing temps at all this year (Houston TX).  I'll try to get more pics, the fronds are all horizontal.  It's never looked like that before and I don't think any other healthy Butias look like that either.

[Chester B]

There is definitely something going on with it and it doesn't look good.

[ryjohn]

I agree big time as I have experienced it on my palms… often leading to death.  It is some sort of nutrient deficiency in my opinion— boron or manganese most likely.  Or bud rot

2 hours ago, Chester B said:

There is definitely something going on with it and it doesn't look good.

 

[Keys6505]

Here's a creeper spy shot from my daughter's window

[ryjohn]

Looks like snow or roofing debris damage from that angle 

[Las Palmas Norte]

3 hours ago, ryjohn said:

Looks like snow or roofing debris damage from that angle 

It does look like downward pressure on the fronds like something has impacted the fronds.

[SeanK]

Could heavy rains overflowed the gutter and fallen into the crown?

[Keys6505]

No heavy rains recently, been at least a few months.  No snow in a few years.  No new roof.  Maybe the Christmas light guy fell on it but that would be a stretch.  I would think if something fell on it squarely enough to bend all of the fronds down pretty equally it would of have to had smashed the spear too.

[Piccabob]

The partially open 'flagged' spear leaf along with droopy upper fronds looks like boron deficiency, which is common in pindo palms and can also make some of the leaflets have a 'lightning bolt' appearance.  Your neighbor can correct boron deficiency by putting a couple tablespoons of boric acid or borax laundry detergent in a watering can, mix it well with water, then sprinkle it all over the root zone.  Hopefully the palm does not have ganoderma or root rot.  If the spear leaf pulls out with a gentle tug or if there is a conk growing out of the base of the palm, the palm is dying, but let's keep our fingers crossed!