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Questions & Answers
Q: This past spring we added two Canary Date Palms (5ʹ CT) to our front yard landscaping.
Late summer we noticed leaf skeletonizers and what appeared to be early signs of nutrient
deficiency. Since then Iʹve been paying close attention to the health of the palm to detect any
issues as early as possible. This weekend I noticed
something new that was occurring on the new growth
in the crown. It appeared to be a white clumpy dust,
or possibly a white grit, in the center of a new spear
leaf and its surrounding sheathing. Iʹm currently
researching ifas online, but havenʹt found anything
yet to help me identify what this might be.
For background, on Nov 1st, my lawn and shrub
company performed their first full palm treatment to
address the nutrient issue and preventative pest
control. My understanding is this included a ground
and bud drench; fertilization and application of
fungicide.
Please find attached a picture(s) of the spear leaf for any help you can provide. I also removed a
small sample of the sheathing that I could bring by to the plant clinic if needed.
A: After discussing this with the Palm Specialist in Ft. Lauderdale: It isn’t a disease – I am
sure of that. It is hard to tell from the photo, but could it be spider mites or something similar?
It may be an insect, but since it seems to be mostly associated with the brown paper‐like tissue
that encloses the new leaf, I have a feeling it is not harmful at all. The leaflets look perfectly
normal, so I don’t think it is anything to worry about. It is always surprising what you can find
when you look at things closely all the time.
Q: We have a large (1m trunk diameter) Live Oak that has been under stress and care for over
10 years. In spite of our efforts the canopy has continued to thin and pieces of bark loosen near
the base of the tree.
The tree is located on the West side of our house probably 3m from
the house and 10m from Lake Sylvan. We are located on the East
side of Winter Park.
But just recently we have had conks appear near the base. Our tree
people have been reluctant to provide a positive a identification and
as a result, they have also been reluctant to give us a certain
prognosis.
The conks appeared on the North side of the tree and range in size
from about 1cm to just over 8cm. They are brownish red with a
circular pattern on the top side and an even medium brown on the
underside. Iʹve attached a number of pictures showing their
location on the lower trunk and some close‐ups that might help with
the identification. If there is any additional information or pictures that would be helpful, please
let me know.
It would be greatly appreciated if you have any suggestions as to what the fungus might be and
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