There are a few plants that don't die easily, and I will consider the pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii) one of those brave plants. But wait! I grow them in Zone 10 which is more like a warm climate. But in colder regions, people face a lot of issues with pygmy palm trees. Recently I came across brown and drying leaves on my pygmy date palm. Thankfully, I have fixed the issue and in this article, I will share what to do when pygmy date palm leaves start turning brown and eventually dry up.
Note: It's better to call them pygmy date palm fronds instead of leaves. On palm trees, we call the leaves "fronds".
This is the only date palm we can grow indoors. Most of us witness dry leaves or brown leaves when these palms are planted indoors. But I faced the issue on a ground-planted tree.
What Causes Pygmy Date Palm Leaves Turning Brown Along with Treatments
I love sharing the major issues first and do not give a huge list of reasons (that can confuse my readers).
You need to identify the symptoms first. Brown leaves can be of many types and based on the symptoms you can decide how to treat your date palm.
The only frond tips are getting brown
If you notice the tips of the fronds/leaves are getting brown and drying up, it indicates a lack of water in the soil. Check the soil with your hand palm or fingers and if you find it dry, water thoroughly. You can see the improvement within a week.
I am afraid that you can not turn the brown leaves green again, but it will help your plant to stop spreading that.
Shrinking brown leaves or fronds
Shrinking fronds that are turning brown indicate chemical damage. So what does this mean? Chemical damage occurs when plants are harmed by substances such as fertilizers or herbicides. (Like fertilizer or chemicals to kill weeds).
Last year, I carelessly dropped a few drops of chemicals ( to kill weeds ) on my palm fronds and they got damaged within a day.
Multiple leaves or fronds are turning brown at the same time even the new leaves
This is the most confusing symptom.
Look at this picture below:
Sudden climate changes like increases or decreases in temperature can turn the leaves brown all of a sudden.
The pygmy date palm loves mid to high-humid climates. So in cooler regions, it is common to see this issue.
All these reasons are known as environmental stress.
To reduce the environmental stress, I would recommend you use a humidifier if the plant is potted indoors.
For outdoor plants, you can use wind cover to protect the tree from extreme cold wind. In hot wind, they don't face difficulties usually.
Tip: In colder regions, add mulch on the ground to keep the soil temp nice and warm.
Do you know that due to stress your date palm can face Frizzle Top disease? (This stress is due to the deficiency of manganese)
New fronds will look frizzled withering or fraying.
