Tree Saver®
P.O. Box 210847
Royal Palm Beach
Florida, 33421 USA
Orders & Info:
561-655-6940
Fax:
561-798-0445
Contac Us:
Richard Maxwell
ISA Certified Arborist
#SO-0105
Brian "BJ" Fischer
ISA Certified Arborist
#FL-5287A
About Lethal Yellowing
Lethal Yellowing is thriving in South Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The antibiotic injection of the 4 most common species of disease susceptible palms (coconut palms, canary island date, dactylifera date and adonidia) is highly recommended. Although there is no guarantee, this program is very successful when implemented on a preventative basis and occasionally successful in achieving remission. The trees can harbor the disease, in an incubative state, for up to a year, before showing the first external signs of Lethal Yellowing, so numerous trees could be infected before the first tree is even diagnosed with the disease.
Most Common Disease Susceptible Palms
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Coconut
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Canary Island Date
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Dactylifera Date
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Adonidia (Christmas)
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Symptoms of Lethal Yellowing in Coconut Palms
Premature
dropping of coconuts in various stages of development. Darkening
of the inflorescence (flower spear or fruit pod). The flowers
on a healthy inflorescence should be a clear, yellowish to
a light cream color. The flowers in Lethal Yellowing infected trees
are dark brown to blackish.
Flowers of Healthy Coconut Palm
The fronds start to turn yellow, beginning with
the older ones and advancing towards the younger
ones near the center of the crown. Sometimes a younger
frond will turn yellow. This is called a "flag
leaf" and is a significant sign of LY but not always present.
Flowers of Infected Coconut Palm
The
final stage is the death of the very center frond, or bud, causing
the youngest unfolded leaf or frond to collapse. Sometimes
there may even be some green leaves left on the tree but
the death of the bud is equivalent to the death of the tree.
(In a non-treated tree, this entire process may take as little as 3 to 6 months.)
Infected Coconut Palm
A recent article in the Journal of the International Palm Society now also indicates that Coconut cultivars offer less resisance to Lethal Yellowing as originally thought.
