[JGVillages]

I have a very tall queen Palm tree that I am concerned may be rotting. Does anyone know of someone that can give me an honest assessment of the health of the tree and not just looking for a fee to remove it? Thanks for any suggestions.

[Bogie Shooter]

Sumter county extension office.

[Jim 9922]

Queen palms are not suited for this area and suffer from hard freezes. They are planted here because they are cheap and grow fast, but you do not see any planted on Villages controlled properties for the obvious reason.

A couple of years after a hard freeze some queen palms will develop a fungus disease called "butt " or trunk rot. It shows itself as a spongy area on the trunk usually about 4 to 6 feet above the ground. The area is usually darker than the rest of the trunk and sometimes develops dark streaks as though water is running down the trunk. It looks like the area is wet from rain as compared to a dry trunk. Push hard on the bark with a finger and you will feel the sponginess. The tree is rotting from the inside out. If your tree has it you will know it. Don't bother calling an expert, just cut it down before it infects other nearby queen palms. If you wait too long the tree will snap off or fall over at the rot area during a strong wind gust, so it is best to get rid of it sooner rather than later.

Trust me, I and several of our neighbors speak from experience!

My advice when landscaping; plant what the developer plants. I am sure they have done tons of research on what is proper for this climate area and the time of the year. Not only trees, but shrubs and seasonal flowers too.

[villagetinker]

You may also want to call ARC, tree with trunks over 4 inches are subject to review before removal. NOW, I am NOT sure if this covers palms, I have seen too many conflicting comments, and I have not confirmed this myself, but the fine is big if you do not get approval.