Variegated Sabal or Sabal Lisa?

[bubba]

At Mounts

[idontknowhatnametuse]

That looks more like a Borassodendron with cold damage

[bubba]

I have seen the same palm a year ago in the summer and it was the same color. It does have a large look to it.(Borass...) but it definitely is not cold related. The leaves are similar to pictures of Sable Lisa that I have seen, but I can't understand the variegated color.

[Bigfish]

That definitely doesn’t have fused leaflets, like Sabal ‘Lisa’ does.  As for any variegation, I only see necrotic leaf tissue, and no variegation.  Not sure if it’s just my phone or if I’m missing something here, but I see no yellow/white sections in the leaves at all.  Can you please point exactly to what you’re looking at?

[bubba]

I agree that this is not Sabal Lisa. I may be pulling at straws. It has been this odd color for over a year. Accordingly, it is not cold damage. 
 

Perhaps it is a sick Borassodendron as suggested by idontknowwhatnametuse. If it is a sick palm, I do not why Mounts is allowing it to propagate. An enigma wrapped in a riddle.

[tim_brissy_13]

Agree with the above. I don’t see variegation or fused leaflets. Looks like Borrasodendron. 

[happypalms]

Lisa or no Lisa it’s one crook palm! 

[Harry’s Palms]

It is interesting to look at , to say the least . Maybe sick or just a genetic anomaly. As long as it is growing and not a fungal infection in the root ball or something , I would leave it be. It seems that is what the staff has decided to do. Harry

[SeanK]

Cold or Scale. For the latter, the buggers would be visible.

[bubba]

The next time I am at Mounts, I will check to see the story on this palm. It was not labeled, but definitely appears to be a small Borassodendron.

I saw this palm and noticed its color for the first time approximately 18 months ago. It is hard to believe that Mounts is growing a sick plant intentionally!

[tim_brissy_13]

1 hour ago, bubba said:

The next time I am at Mounts, I will check to see the story on this palm. It was not labeled, but definitely appears to be a small Borassodendron.

I saw this palm and noticed its color for the first time approximately 18 months ago. It is hard to believe that Mounts is growing a sick plant intentionally!

I don’t really know what you mean. Would you propose they cut it out? To me it looks like it’s either been cold damaged or possibly too dry rather than any disease which may spread, but I wouldn’t be killing a Borrasodendron for any reason anyway. It’s worthy of helping to fight for recovery. 

[bubba]

Tim,

it is not cold damage as I noticed this coloration 18 months ago. I do not believe dryness plays into this equation. We get plenty of rain here.
 

I will try to get an answer from the head of the botanical garden.

[tim_brissy_13]

2 hours ago, bubba said:

Tim,

it is not cold damage as I noticed this coloration 18 months ago. I do not believe dryness plays into this equation. We get plenty of rain here.
 

I will try to get an answer from the head of the botanical garden.

I wouldn’t rule out cold damage based on how long it has shown it. To me, the lower frond damage looks like it could be from previous winters; if it were all from this winter the damage pattern would look different with surfaces currently exposed to the sky being worst hit. My limited understanding is that Borassodendron is uber tropical, so it may just get a bit damaged most winters in climates that aren’t tropical all year round. 

[bubba]

Tim,

This botanical garden is located directly adjacent to Palm Beach International Airport, where the weather underground station is located. As I previously stated, this palm was this color 18 months ago when I last saw it. 
 

At Palm Beach, International Airport on the mornings of February 1 and 2, 31°F was recorded for a total of three hours. Notwithstanding the short duration below freezing, the cumulative monthly temperature for February 2026 was 64.8°F or tropical in accordance with Koeppen. This cold event was the coldest experienced at PBIA since December 1989, over 37 years.

Accordingly, I can safely state that it was not the result of cold. This palm is likely in the five year old range and did not experience freezing temperatures or any that approximated that during its lifetime. I may be wrong, but I did not see any similar damage to other Borassadendron in numerous other botanical gardens in our area with this palm. The only thing I can do is to talk to the parties in charge of the palms and find out what is going on with this specimen. I thought perhaps it may be some kind of genetic mutation or out of the ordinary variety. If it is in poor health, I cannot understand why this professional botanical garden is allowing it to promulgate disease!

[bubba]

Here is a similar Borassadendron taken at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens on February 10, 2026. It is older, but you can see no cold damage.

[Mazat]

On 3/20/2026 at 11:11 AM, Harry’s Palms said:

It is interesting to look at , to say the least . Maybe sick or just a genetic anomaly. As long as it is growing and not a fungal infection in the root ball or something , I would leave it be. It seems that is what the staff has decided to do. Harry

“genetic anomaly” sounds logical, yes Harry🤗

[Mazat]

I really have to smile—we should definitely have a Sabal lisa here. First of all, it’s a wonderful palm tree, and second, my twin sister has the same name, so it’s a perfect fit 😁🤗🤭

[tim_brissy_13]

19 hours ago, bubba said:

Here is a similar Borassadendron taken at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens on February 10, 2026. It is older, but you can see no cold damage.

Hard to be sure but I think that’s Corypha umbraculifera. Whatever it is, it’s not Borassodendron. 

[96720]

Definitely not Lisa this is a picture of my Lisa!!! Not variegation I would definitely say something environmental sun burn, water problem cold damage herbicide or fertilizer damage!!!

[bubba]

Tough crowd! Not the most professional and knowledgeable but I got a lot of material:

[bubba]

[bubba]

[bubba]

[bubba]

Tim,

You are correct! The Palm was a Borassus Madagascariensis! I will locate a local Borassosodendron!