2026_02 - Documenting Freeze Damage In South Brevard

[Jimbean]

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

[Jimbean]

Attalea speciosa

[Jimbean]

Bismarckia nobilis

Borassus aethiopum

Hyphaene coriacea

Borassus spp

 

[Jimbean]

Chrysalidocarpus lutescens

Dypsis leptocheilos

Dypsis decaryi

[Jimbean]

Philodendron radiatum

Pandanus tectorius

[Jimbean]

Coccothrinax Spp

Leucothrinax morrisii  (The one with the damaged trunk is a 1989 survivor.)

[Jimbean]

Acoelorraphe wrightii

Phoenix roebelenii

Rhapis excelsa

Livistona decora

[Jimbean]

Astrocaryum mexicanum

Hyophorbe lagenicaulis

Syagrus schizophylla

Ptychosperma propinquum

[Jimbean]

Syagrus coronata

[Jimbean]

Copernicia Spp

[Jimbean]

Licuala spinosa

[Jimbean]

Ravenea rivularis

[Jimbean]

Sabal mauritiiformis

Two mystery sables

[Jimbean]

Ficus aurea

[Jimbean]

Bauhinia variegata

Schinus terebinthifolia

Calliandra haematocephala

Coccoloba uvifera

Ficus benjamina

Kigelia africana

Nerium oleander

Terminalia buceras

[Jimbean]

Livistona saribus?

[Jimbean]

Once again, south facing of the building.  These were in much better shape than the ones anywhere else.  This is further evidence that being on the south facing side of a building is an effective strategy against advective freezing events.  

 

[Jimbean]

Mystery hardwoods.  I should know what these are but I can't recall atm

[Jimbean]

Mystery palms.  That last one (last three photos) is a crownshaft palm that took no damage with what looks like minimal protection from a canopy.  

[Jimbean]

Two big surprises.  These had to be protected, because I don't know how else these would be in the condition they are now:

Cocos nucifera

Pritchardia spp

[Jimbean]

On 2/11/2026 at 4:03 PM, CoconutLover said:

I am looking to make a move to the Space Coast next year, and am very curious how you all think Coconut Palms will recover (or if they will) from this. As much as I love them, my knowledge is limited, so I'm curious if these trees will ever have a chance to fruit again? Any information would be helpful, as I would love to harvest some coconuts from a tree in my future life as a Floridian

I suspect in the coming months, I'll be counting the handful of 2026 survivors. 

On 2/11/2026 at 8:23 PM, RedRabbit said:

Thanks @Jimbean for sharing pictures of the aftermath. It’s about how I expected, bad but it doesn’t look like a total wipeout.

This makes me think it may have been another reset year for tropicals in Volusia County. If it was a close call in coastal Brevard, I hate to think of what all the coconuts look like in New Smyrna Beach, Ponce Inlet, DB Shores, etc. 

Volusia didn't actually get that much colder than we did.  Considering that it got down to 38f in Key Largo, 30F in West Palm Beach (with a good number of 28/29F readings from independent stations in that area), 26F in Port St. Lucie, 25F in Melbourne, and 24F in Merritt Island, you would have expected probably 19-21F range for Daytona beach, 17-20F for St. Augustine, and 15F or so in Jacksonville.  However northeast Florida fared comparatively well.  If that same air mass blew in more directly from the north, you would have seen the same mid 20's from Tampa down to Cape Coral, and probably 28/29F in Naples, single digits in the panhandle and low teens on the coastal bend. 

 

 

 

This topic I think could very well go into the "Freeze Damage Data" section. 

[Hombre de Palmas]

1 hour ago, Jimbean said:

I suspect in the coming months, I'll be counting the handful of 2026 survivors. 

Volusia didn't actually get that much colder than we did.  Considering that it got down to 38f in Key Largo, 30F in West Palm Beach (with a good number of 28/29F readings from independent stations in that area), 26F in Port St. Lucie, 25F in Melbourne, and 24F in Merritt Island, you would have expected probably 19-21F range for Daytona beach, 17-20F for St. Augustine, and 15F or so in Jacksonville.  However northeast Florida fared comparatively well.  If that same air mass blew in more directly from the north, you would have seen the same mid 20's from Tampa down to Cape Coral, and probably 28/29F in Naples, single digits in the panhandle and low teens on the coastal bend. 

 

 

 

This topic I think could very well go into the "Freeze Damage Data" section. 

Lucky us, eh?

Thank you for your continued documentation.

Still seeing some additional manifestation of cold damage as some Roebeliniis are exhibiting browning of fronds. I'd say 30-40% are now showing significant burn.  Also some Livistonas in the area are exhibiting some from damage but the majority seem mostly unscathed. Sadly, it appears that my three Super King Ixora are dead to the ground. 

The Adonidias in my yard are beginning to drop their bottom fronds.  The trunks are still green, but I realize it's only a matter of time. It's a sad vigil. The Wodyetias look freeze dried and my large Ravenea which initially appeared unfazed is increasingly turning a sickly yellow. What has surprised me to some extent, is the continuing decline of my Arbicolas which will survive but took a great deal of damage.

All in all, when the palms are taken out, my yard will be practically bare between death and defoliation giving me an opportunity to simplify the yard with extremely hardy, drought tolerant and many fewer specimens. Not that was ever the plan, at least not quite now, but what are ya gonna do?

On a side note does anyone know if the mangoes will simply defoliate and re-leaf or are the top parts dead and be requiring a major trim? I'm hoping they aren't completely deceased, but the extent of this calamity is all new to me. They are almost all 100% brown around here with no apparent variability by species.

[kinzyjr]

@Hombre de Palmas There wasn't a time in my little journey into this hobby where I expected to have the same types of damage in Port Saint Lucie as here.  I checked on all of my tropical hardwoods yesterday.  They are still alive.  The Delonix regia was sweating some sap above the 2ft line, but it's still healthy wood.  I took all of them down to knee high since they form the southern border of the garden.  That will let a little more light in for the stuff that can use some indirect light and extra daytime heat. 

The mangoes should push out new leaves from the branches that didn't die.  My avocados still had some green leaves under all of the dried foliage.  I started taking branches off where all of the leaves were dead due to fire hazard. I'll mulch the dead leaves and add it as organic material in the sandier parts of the garden.

At the airport, this one wasn't as bad as 2010.  At my residence, it was worse.  Just goes to show you that when it's your turn in the barrel, get ready to hold your breath.

[Hombre de Palmas]

3 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

@Hombre de Palmas There wasn't a time in my little journey into this hobby where I expected to have the same types of damage in Port Saint Lucie as here.  I checked on all of my tropical hardwoods yesterday.  They are still alive.  The Delonix regia was sweating some sap above the 2ft line, but it's still healthy wood.  I took all of them down to knee high since they form the southern border of the garden.  That will let a little more light in for the stuff that can use some indirect light and extra daytime heat. 

The mangoes should push out new leaves from the branches that didn't die.  My avocados still had some green leaves under all of the dried foliage.  I started taking branches off where all of the leaves were dead due to fire hazard. I'll mulch the dead leaves and add it as organic material in the sandier parts of the garden.

At the airport, this one wasn't as bad as 2010.  At my residence, it was worse.  Just goes to show you that when it's your turn in the barrel, get ready to hold your breath.

Thanks for the reply. It certainly is devastating here, for people like us anyway,  but most people don't even see it really. Freeze damage, what freeze damage? I haven't had the time to take photos of the devastation in my yard and proximate to me.  We have had a steady stream of visitors that wanted to hang out around the pool and lanai to escape the cold weather up north. Great timing on their part! 

Tomorrow, my wife, who is the steadier hand, will hopefully get some photos of the devastation that I will share. I have already started clearing and cleaning the devastation but only select specimens that were fried like my forest of Rostrata and my large number of Megaskepasma that I usually take down in the spring anyway. The Rostrata will regenerate and the Megaskepasma merely defoliated.  The lack of leaves made it somewhat easier to take down this year.

Cheers and Happy Weekend!