What plant is this and can it be saved? - Ask Extension
We're not sure what plant this is or how to care for it/save it. In ten years it has grown from maybe 10 inches high to over six feet. This spring the...
Knowledgebase
What plant is this and can it be saved? #878187
Asked July 21, 2024, 10:57 PM EDT
We're not sure what plant this is or how to care for it/save it. In ten years it has grown from maybe 10 inches high to over six feet. This spring the fronds/leaves started to turn brown and droop until eventually they were all dead looking. We were figuring the plant was probably a lost cause, but we just noticed these green shoots growing up from the base of the trunks.
Should we cut off all the dead fronds? Cut down all the big trunks to make room for the new growth? Or just leave it be?
More back story - back in the fall the yard service cut a bunch of the lower growth fronds - as if you were limbing a tree. Before that the fronds were a lot thicker around the bottom. At the time it didn't seem to affect the plant and over the winter it seemed to be fine during the freezes; we didn't notice any negative effects until it got warmer in the spring.
We'd appreciate any insight. Thanks!
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Dear Marcy,
Thank you for contacting us about your tropical trees. I am not sure what species you have, but an educated guess is that the large trees have died and there are new ones growing from the roots. You could just remove the fronds and see what happens, but if they haven't greened up by now I don't think the prognosis is positive.
Chances are the extreme cold spell we had during the winter killed the top growth. If they were mine, I would cut the trunks near the ground (without disturbing the crown of the roots) and let the new foliage develop.
I hope this is helpful. Please write again anytime you have a question.
Thank you for contacting us about your tropical trees. I am not sure what species you have, but an educated guess is that the large trees have died and there are new ones growing from the roots. You could just remove the fronds and see what happens, but if they haven't greened up by now I don't think the prognosis is positive.
Chances are the extreme cold spell we had during the winter killed the top growth. If they were mine, I would cut the trunks near the ground (without disturbing the crown of the roots) and let the new foliage develop.
I hope this is helpful. Please write again anytime you have a question.
Success! We did as you suggested, cut off the brown, dead fronds and now the green shoots are over a foot tall and looking very happy. Thank you!
--Marcy Davis 
You are very welcome. Happy gardening!