Snow in Shreveport
Horticulturists are telling the folks of Louisiana that even as palm trees have become popular in the State, this may have come about because the weather had been relatively mild. But now that the State has faced an uncommon winter, two years ago, and the potential for cold and snow as storms reach into the midpart of the country, the palm trees are suffering damage. What kind might fare better and what should be done about it, are some of the questions being answered by the experts, as temperatures in the lower teens in north Louisiana have killed a good number of palms.
All of the species of palms have shown damage to some extent, including what are considered the more cold-hardy of them, known as windmills.
Horticulturists advise that if a portion of a frond remains green, leave it on the plant and keep the other fronds on it as long as possible because it is difficult to produce new foliage if the old foliage is damaged.
Patience is said to be important in dealing with damaged palms. If a spear leaf in the center of a palm canopy can be taken out of its heart, then that is a sign the palm is dead.
Windmill palms suffer better during cold weather and appear to be the most resilient, something Louisiana folks are told might be a better choice, if there continues to be potential for cold temperatures, which are seen as rare in the State. This is particularly true, it is said, for Northern Louisiana that experiences more variation in temperatures than its southern regions.
