Palms Are Not Trees
This isn't semantic. Palms are monocots — more closely related to grasses and grains than to oaks or pines. They have one growing point (the terminal bud or "heart" at the top), no secondary growth, and no ability to callus over wounds the way hardwoods do. This fundamental difference changes how they should be cared for and how damage affects them.
Understanding this matters practically: most tree care advice doesn't apply to palms, and some common practices that seem reasonable are actually harmful.
Common Palms in the Tallahassee Area
Sabal palm (Cabbage palm): Florida's state tree. Cold-hardy, drought-tolerant once established, highly adaptable. The most common native palm in the region. Self-cleaning in some cases — old fronds break off naturally.
Queen palm: Popular ornamental, fast-growing, attractive drooping fronds. Cold-sensitive — North Florida winters can damage or kill them in hard freeze events. Highly prone to nutritional deficiencies in Florida's sandy soils.
Washingtonia palms (Mexican fan palm, California fan palm): Very tall, fast-growing, create dramatic skyline silhouettes. Cold-tolerant. Retain old skirt of dead fronds unless removed. Can reach 80+ feet.
Windmill palm: Cold-hardy, manageable size (20-30 feet), bushy appearance. More tolerant of North Florida winters than queen palms.
Frond Removal: What Not to Do
The most common palm care mistake is over-trimming. Removing green fronds shortens the working surface area of the palm, forces it to consume stored nutrients faster, and can weaken the trunk over time (palms can't add girth after the initial trunk formation).
Green fronds: Leave them. They're photosynthesizing and storing nutrients.
Yellow fronds: Leave them until fully brown. A yellowing frond is still transferring nutrients back to the palm.
Brown, dead fronds: Safe to remove. Cut close to the trunk without cutting into the boot (the base where the frond attached) — damage to the trunk is permanent.
The "hurricane cut": This refers to severely trimming a palm down to just a few fronds before a storm. It's done with the intention of reducing wind load. Studies from the University of Florida have found that hurricane cuts weaken palms rather than protect them, and increase post-storm failure rates. Healthy fronds help stabilize the trunk during high winds. Don't do this.
Nutritional Deficiencies in North Florida Palms
Florida's sandy soils are notoriously poor in the nutrients palms need most. This is especially true for queen palms and other ornamental species.
Potassium deficiency: The most common palm deficiency in Florida. Shows as yellowing or orange-speckling on older fronds, with fronds dying prematurely. Important to use potassium sulfate (not muriate of potassium/potassium chloride, which can worsen the problem).
Magnesium deficiency: Yellow banding on older fronds, with green retained at the tip. Common in palms growing in alkaline spots or heavily leached sandy soil. Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) applied to the soil can help.
Manganese deficiency (frizzle top): Affects the newest fronds at the top. New growth emerges stunted, frizzled, and yellow-brown. Serious — if untreated, can kill the palm. Responds to manganese sulfate applications to the soil.
For most nutritional issues, a palm-specific slow-release fertilizer (sold specifically for palms) with a balanced micronutrient package addresses multiple deficiencies at once. The University of Florida IFAS extension publishes specific palm fertilization guidance worth consulting for ongoing management.
Lethal Bronzing Disease
Lethal bronzing (previously called Texas Phoenix Palm Decline) is a serious bacterial disease spread by a leafhopper insect. It has been confirmed in several Florida counties, including in the Tallahassee region.
What it looks like: Browning (bronzing) of the oldest fronds, progressing upward through the canopy. Fruit drop if the palm was fruiting. Eventually the terminal bud dies.
The problem: There is no cure. Preventive antibiotic injections (oxytetracycline) can protect healthy palms in areas where the disease is present, but they don't cure an infected palm.
What to do: If you have a palm showing browning that progresses upward over weeks, consult an arborist familiar with the disease. An infected palm should be removed promptly — the leafhopper vector continues using the palm until it's gone, spreading disease to neighboring palms.
When Palms Need to Be Removed
Palms generally warrant removal when:
- The terminal bud is dead (the heart of the palm is gone — the palm cannot recover)
- The trunk has significant structural failure (splits, rot at the base, severe lean)
- Lethal bronzing has progressed past the point of viable treatment
- The palm is in conflict with a structure or has outgrown its location
- A cold damage event has killed the terminal bud (assess in spring — if no new frond emerges as weather warms, the palm is dead)
Don't assume brown fronds mean a dead palm. Cold damage can brown or kill all existing fronds while leaving the terminal bud intact. The palm will push new growth from the top if the bud survived — sometimes weeks after the event.
Palm Removal
Removing a tall palm is different from removing a hardwood tree. The trunk is a single column — there's no secondary structure to work around — but height is the primary challenge. A 70-foot Washingtonia requires either top-section-by-section climbing work or a bucket truck.
Palm trunks are fibrous and extremely heavy for their diameter. Debris handling is different: the fronds compost, the trunk material is typically hauled or chipped.
We remove palms throughout North Florida, including large Washingtonias, queens, and native sabal palms. If you have a palm that's dying, dead, or creating a hazard, call us for an assessment.
Questions about a palm or any tree in the Tallahassee area? Call (850) 570-4074 or request an assessment online.