Sabal Palm Disease

Florida’s state tree, the cabbage palm, has been standing strong and tall for centuries.

The strength of the cabbage palm has been legendary—the palm-trunk walls of Fort Sullivan in Charleston protected soldiers from cannon-fire during a British invasion in 1776.

But cabbage palms in areas of the state are dying, and experts believe that a type of bacteria called phytoplasma is to blame.

In 2008, researchers identified affected cabbage palms in Hillsborough and Manatee Counties with symptoms that include a greater than normal amount of dead fronds in the lower canopy and death of the central leaf spear prior to the death of all other leaves.

Palm specialists believe that the decline in cabbage palms (known botanically as Sabal palmetto) is caused by the same phytoplasma that causes lethal bronzing disease (LBD), initally called Texas Phoenix palm decline (TPPD) because it was originally found in the Phoenix palm genus (date and Canary Island palms) in Texas. And this disease is no longer seen only in Florida's sabals; today researchers report it from more than a dozen host species.

The disease can be difficult to identify since over-trimmed palms and improperly fertilized palms in the landscape will show many symptoms that are similar, but unrelated, to this disease.

There is no cure for this deadly plant disease. If you think a palm might be affected, contact your county Extension office. A test can detect the LBD pathogen and determined if the palm is indeed infected. If the test is positive, the palm should be removed immediately. Neighboring palms should also be tested.

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