What's happening to the Gables coconut palms?

For the past few weeks I have noticed the fronds of all my coconut palms becoming grayer and dryer. At first I thought it a temporary winter thing, exacerbated by the severe cold spell, but each day the damage looks more severe and I worry that I might lose them all. I have noticed, however, that the same thing is happening all over the Gables -- around the Granada Golf Course and along Alhambra Circle, for example. Has anyone else noticed this? Is it simply a lack of water and fertilizer or is this a more serious blight that is attacking all our coconut trees? My other palm trees all seem to be OK. It’s just the coconut palms. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Patrick Alexander

Coconuts are sensitive to cold

Submitted by gtasker on February 5, 2010.

Coconuts are sensitive to cold. It's been so long since we had a hard cold that people may not realize what's happening. (Think back to the 1980s when there were many severe cold snaps.) The palms should be OK. I am not removing the fronds showing brown. Most will fall by themselves. In the meantime, the plants have the ability to translocate potassium from the old fronds to new growth.

Georgia Tasker
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
www.fairchildgarden.org