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Palms have a nasty habit of dying long before they look dead. Because they are monocots, they have a single small growing poing (meristem) in the center of each stem (trunk). This is what is eaten as palm heart, and it is tasty to bugs, and sensitive to rot (fungus) if damaged by bugs, cold weather, or physical damage.
This growing point can die, but the rest of the palm can stay green and even appear healthy for many months, depending on its size. But here is a trick to help you decide whether your palm is still alive - because sometimes they are growing so slowly that it is hard to know for sure.
Notice in these pics how I have used a felt pen to mark a line across a petiole from an already opened and mature frond, and onto the emerging spear. As you will see, when I take another photo tomorrow and the next day, the two lines will not look the same. If my palm is alive, the line on the spear will move above the line on the other frond. This is also a good way to get an idea how fast your palm is growing - as without this point of reference, the emerging spear will look the same day after day, especially in some of the slower palms. Or especially in a palm that has been cold or otherwise damaged. But this method will tell you if there is hope. If it doesn't move at all for several days - then sadly your palm will die - if it is a solitary species.
This growing point can die, but the rest of the palm can stay green and even appear healthy for many months, depending on its size. But here is a trick to help you decide whether your palm is still alive - because sometimes they are growing so slowly that it is hard to know for sure.
Notice in these pics how I have used a felt pen to mark a line across a petiole from an already opened and mature frond, and onto the emerging spear. As you will see, when I take another photo tomorrow and the next day, the two lines will not look the same. If my palm is alive, the line on the spear will move above the line on the other frond. This is also a good way to get an idea how fast your palm is growing - as without this point of reference, the emerging spear will look the same day after day, especially in some of the slower palms. Or especially in a palm that has been cold or otherwise damaged. But this method will tell you if there is hope. If it doesn't move at all for several days - then sadly your palm will die - if it is a solitary species.