North Texas landscape with palm trees after 2021 record low temps.

[737mech]

We have 3 different types of palms in out backyard. Our needle palm which is shrub like looks like nothing happened. It's very cold hardy. We planted a small sabel minor this year which has some protection from our house. It still looks mostly green, but about half the fronds are now brown and dried up. We have two Chinese windmill palms. I removed the blankets that I had wrapped their trunks with today. All the fronds are brown and dried looking. There is however some green left on the stems.
I know it's too soon to know if some of these will make it or not. Just wondering how my fellow North Texas tropical landscapers make out.

 

[Texas Splash]

While I'm south of you, I can say my Sago's all took a major hit. The jury is still out as to their future. They were very-well established. They had snow before, but not for 5 days straight and a week or more of sub-freezing temps. I just gave them a major trim today to expose them to some more sunlight. Fingers crossed.

 

[737mech]

Your Sagos are huge! Sagos don't typically make it through a winter up here. We have one that's potted and stays in the garage when it's supposed to be below freezing. I also have a small crop of plumeria that are still in the garage. I can't wait for warmer weather.

 

[bmoreswim]

Not much insight from up here except to say I almost guarantee you the needle palms will be fine. I have two up here that grow though they don’t thrive. But I’m sure this will be a big discussion topic for those in your areas this year. Once you know what dies or dies back, then you have to make the call. Plant it again and take the risk? Hard not to if you love something, but also a real bummer when an established specimen doesn’t make it or takes a big hit.

 

[Poolmama!]

Check out this page if you're on Facebook...North Texas Palms & Pottery. We did what they recommended, and we're hoping it works...because our palms look so pitiful now after we did all the trimming.

 

[imrodee]

Are they covered by insurance?

 

[Technobuyer]

Check out this page if you're on Facebook...North Texas Palms & Pottery. We did what they recommended, and we're hoping it works...because our palms look so pitiful now after we did all the trimming.

Thank you for that heads up with North Texas Palms info! I trimmed palms yesterday. I just ordered copper fungicide on amazon, it'll be here tomorrow. Have some palm fertilizer from last year, and will get that going today. I have a nice big Texas Sabal, a Pindo, a Brahea Armata, Med Fan, and Windmill Palm. Hoping for the best....

 

[737mech]

Check out this page if you're on Facebook...North Texas Palms & Pottery. We did what they recommended, and we're hoping it works...because our palms look so pitiful now after we did all the trimming.

Thanks I'll have to get my wife to look them up on FB. I'm trying to be optimistic on our Windmill palms. Time will tell. Hope yours pull through as well.

 

[737mech]

From North Texas Palms & Pottery.....
Home Depot carries a liquid Cooper fungicide. Going to get some today.

 

[Poolmama!]

From North Texas Palms & Pottery.....
Home Depot carries a liquid Cooper fungicide. Going to get some today.

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I got the liquid copper fungicide at Walmart. They also recommend using a palm fertilizer at this same time.

 

[woodyp]

Pretty sure my 16 ft. pindo is winter fried.

 

[737mech]

Needle palm held up extremely well.

Windmill palms looking very crispy.


I gave them the Cooper fungicide treatment and fertilized as recommended. I couldn't bring myself to trim them too much. 14 days from now I'll treat them again. Hoping they make it.

 

[Technobuyer]

Got mine trimmed, fertilized and sprayed with the copper fungicide. I have a med fan that I think I'm going to lose. Fronds already pulling easily from the center. But the rest of the palms look kinda ok(?). I also watered in the fertilizer with a compost like tea/water mix. Everything I've used it on in the past has done real well coming through stress, so I'm hopeful.

 

[colleenbevans]

My entire neighborhood is devastated. I think all the tropicals are dead. Our Palmetto tree might make it, all the queen palms are likely dead.

 

[salty87]

Anybody's palms showing signs of life yet?

Oak trees are finally sprouting new leaves. Never seen them so bare before. It's really opened up the view but in a sad kinda way.

Catkins will be brutal soon. Pump filters getting cleaned today in anticipation.

 

[geh]

Time will tell. I had eight Queen Palms around my house and we had a deep freeze a couple years ago here in New Orleans. Four of the eight died. But the strange thing is they started sprouting new fronds but they never fully came back. A landscaper friend told me the capillaries in the trees were damaged and even if they lived they would always look sickly, and they would never fully come back. All four died, despite the initial promising regrowth. You could see dead, brown palm fronds all over the city, just like mine, and like yours in the photos. The other four were closer to the house and they lived without any issue, except I cut down two that were too close to the house, two remain but we are tired of the maintenance. Kinda dangerous using a pole saw on an extension ladder balancing precariously 15 feet over concrete.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Just saw some European fan palms and wanted to know how those fared in the freeze. Also does the fruit make a mess around the pool?

 

[737mech]

I believe European fan palms are cold hardy 5-15 degrees.
Chinese windmill palms would be a better choice from a cold hardiness perspective.

 

[Leik]

I think our two Windmill Palms survived. They are showing new spear growth and have put out several seed/fruit pods. We did cover ours entirely and used C9 Christmas lights to generate some heat. I sprayed them twice with copper fungicide afterward, too. We were below freezing for close to 11 days straight, with the coldest low at -8 degrees. Crazy weather. Coldest temps in 50 years.

 

[737mech]

Leik, your Windmill looks fantastic