That is interesting, would have thought that in the tropics, they would look nice and dark green. Then again in that area lethal yellowing could be killing them. Have pics?

Never thought to take them, pic....I should of if I had known this subject would of come up. But who thought taking pictures of yellow ugly citrus would be pretty..lol

Next time you go to the tropics, eye out all the citrus and palms, and you will see mostly yellow leaves on these trees, more than very green,or at least hardly ever a full deep green one on all the leaves, that is of course if your not counting the ones shaded by other trees..;-)

I have yet to see more full green palms and citrus than yelowing ones anywhere I go when I stay there..

Its the constant wind. The palm can't get enough moisture to the leaf tip and they burn and turn brown.

I've never been to the Caribbean islands, but your comment had me looking up all my photos from travels to the tropics. I have photos of Adonidia merrellii in dried up pots baking in full hot sun on a paved area in Belize looking bright green. Also Attalea cojune poking out of the top of the jungle in Belize looking very dark green, Ravenea rivularis and Ravenea glauca seemingly growing out of stone in the hot Madagascar sun looking ravishingly green. Dypsis mananjarensis fully exposed on a grassy hillside in Madagascar sporting a nice green crown. Same with Ravenea sambiranensis. Cyrtostachys renda in full sun in Costa Rica -- bright green leaves. Pritchardia in a Belize garden -- vivid green. Yes, some of the coconuts on the beach in Belize and out on the Cayes do have some brown tips on the lower leaves. But I wouldn't say they were especially yellow. And with all these lovely palms to admire, I admit I didn't give a second glance to any citrus. ; ) Photos available upon request.

I wonder how many of the poorly colored, yellowish palms are actually native to those islands. How many were introduced to make the islands conform to the stereotype of northerners who assume that the tropical islands are all lushly dominated by palms. In most of the tropics, palms are not the dominant vegetation, and many palms are more comfortable under the shaded canopy of the forest. From a visit to Bermuda, I learned that there is really only one species of palm native to Bermuda (a variety of Sabal). Because of the lime and very alkaline soils of Bermuda, a great deal of effort is put into the planting of a palm tree (digging into the rocky ground, adding real soil) --you just can't throw a palm into the ground there and expect it to grow despite the benign climate. But tourists expect to see some palm tree paradise so the environment has been manipulated for the sake of non-native horticulture and the non-native tourists.

I think it is all of the above with a little salt mixed in. Some palms can hack the salt but some cant.

njoasis,
What you are saying makes LOTS of sense...

I am not saying that there are no such thing as green palms in their natural enviroment, what I am saying here is that, where I have been, especially on the island of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, I hardly ever see many lush green palms, let alone citrus.
I wonder how many have been introduced to areas where they were not meant to be?
Oh well, maybe we will never know. Of this I do know, the sable palms at my aunts home in Florida, are a beautiful green, while the rest of hers are all yellowish, at least all but the new growth. She has to keep cutting off the older growth...

Oh ya, every, I mean every citrus tree that I have set out to examine in many yards in the south, are all but beautifully green, let alone palms..Wonder why?

Mike..:-)

Well, just curiously those Sabal palms are one of the few palms (out of the HUNDREDS currently grown in S. Florida/Miami area) that is actually native (along with Roystonea and a tiny handful of others). South Florida soils are also very alkaline from limestone and pose a distinct challenge to growers. (My soil is very acid on the other hand, so my hardy plantings are nearly all acid-lovers.) Don't recall pH preferences for palms (my next Google) but citrus are definitely high acid. Florida visitors have commented on the apparent health of my palms and lack of issues with regards to disease and pests (probably due to rareness of outdoor palms in the North). And of course, we also don't have to deal with "lethal yellowing".

I always see dark green palms that are in full sun, but only in the tropics where there is enough moisture in the air to keep the leaves from cracking and splitting. I', from Panama originally and travel to Hawaii often and other places in the deep tropics and always am amazed to see gorgeous, deep green, shiny palms in full sun. Queen palms look fantastic in Hawaii, super green and full. Here in California, some are green some are yellow. I find that down in coastal L.A they do better and are greener. Coconut palms are always beautiful and green in the tropics, unless they are a yellow variety, which then they are kinda yellowish-green. But all and all..I think palms look their best in full sun. :)

HUM...This is very interesting.....

Is lethal yellowing a disease?
Maybe that is what is happening to all the ones I have seen..
All the palms and citrus surrounding the "El Junque" rain forest in P.R were so yellow, I was wondering what is wrong with them. Even the ones in the neighborhood ofmy house..
But as soon as I approached the tropical rain forest, the trees were so much greener...Like they had been sprayed with Iron or something...
It is good to know that many palm can handle full sun all day long with no repercussions. At least certain ones. Maybe I will have to keep watching for the name of the ones shared here and look to planting some of these at my home. Then I can say I have the greenest ones for my area...Thanks everyone!

yes, lethal yellowing is a disease. It is in Florida also. I first knew about it because it infects coconut palms, as well as many other palms. The palm usually dies a few months affter the first signs. If they have been like that for years, then its some kind of deficiency.

In my experience, only some of my palms get dry whispy tips in the wintertime when we get stong northern winds. Apart from that, my fronds look nice and green throughout.

You must have the perfect soil then or growing native palms...Hum..:-)

Some areas that have soil that is very sandy will have a tendancy to be depleated of nutrients from lots of rain.

I agree with palmmandan...I feel that alot of palms are just left to fend for themselves...when you see them being well cared for they always look lush and green...In my opinion...I think it is a mineral deficiency...we who care for palms notice them turning and give a boost of nutrients....When I'm in the tropics I notice how healthy they are in parks or hotel settings...they are well cared for...when you see natural palms Cabbages/Etc...they look like scrub trees until they are trimmed and cleaned up!!! (In areas that are open lots/land that has not been cleared for developing etc.) I truly believe like others have said above me ...they have been brought in and introduced to differnet areas that are not native...but I still love to see any palms...How about some of those Canaries in Phoenix...I could hardly contain myself when I saw those large beauties!!! LOL

Myermike...I love Puerto Rico El Yunque and La Quillo are two of my favorite spots...La Quillo used to be an old Coconut Plantation with the trees all along the shoreline...My husband and I along with other friends found that beach by accident 25 years ago...it has changed a bit, but we still enjoy visiting that beach!!! great localbeach!!!

Laura

WOW>>>>>>>>>>>>

I just got a huge jolt of joy knowing you have been to one of my favorite beaches!!
You should see the pics I have of that place...Wow, who knows, maybe I might of seen you there since I go everyear, for the past 30 or so years..
I love that place, and I also loved the palms in Arizona. I never expected to see them there! I expected to only see cactus and shrubs..What a shock it was..

You are right! The palms in those resorts and fancy places, or even at places where they are well cared for such as airports and some peoples homes, are so much better looking!

In fact, have you ever seen the ones at Disneyworld? WOWOW, and at their resorts? That is when I wish I could bring them home,all of them, or get very depressed that I just can't live there year round..

I have been told I should get a job at Disney and apply for a character like goofy, and then possible get rent cheap while at the same time, enjoying all the perfectly groomed trees and plants..lol

Oh, how we love to bring the tropics to our areas ha?

Thanks for chiming in. There are soooo many nice people here, and such a treat when life seems to get you down sometimes, especially in this long wet and cloudy summer..;-)

Meyermike,
LaQuillo is where I fell in love with Coconut palm trees...I was so impressed on how large and how green the trees were!!! As you know...as the years go by they don't seem to be as lush and green as they were 20+ years ago...probably because they sold the plantation and noone is there to take care of the trees!!! That's a bummer but they still look great to me.

My kids love that beach...it's the first place that they had local food cooked by the road in those fryers...where the local ladies slapped the ingredients together with banana leaves...I'm glad that I didn't look to closely in those vats of oil!!! LOL...but it was truly delicious...whatever it was!!!

A long time ago when it was a local secret, we found our way to the large waterfall swimming hole...That was so much fun...Now they have the path partly paved and with hand rails at certain spots...That was a little depressing because part of the experience was to see if you could handle the trail and the joy of making it down and to find the falls!!! Not to mention having to climb back up after you swim and dive all day!!
I enjoyed hearing the "Coki" frogs while on the climb down to the waterfall...I love El Yunque!!!

I hope you are receiving some sunshine up in MA...we just had a great downpour..but it only lasted 15 minutes!! We need more rain here in VA...

A job down in Disney sounds like a great idea!!! Maybe Pooh Bear or sleepy could be fun... then you could prop up your feet under a few shady palms and play up the character...sounds like a plan!!! LOL

Laura