Katkin The Tab and the Erythrina both suffer from insect damage, not a fungal smut. I forget which insect (or mite) is involved but I think they are two different critters, one for the Sunshine and one for the Tab. They attack the young not fully formed leaf. Onced damaged, the leaf enlarges but is malformed. Usually, the Bayers product works if it is used in large enough quantities, but it will not return malformed leaves to a normal appearance. The Bayers systemic will most likely make the next flush of leaves look good. I don't know what the label states as to mixing rates and re-apply intervals, but the commercial version has worked on other plants (cycads with scale) for up to 6 months when applied at very high levels. You might try a shot of fert to encourage new growth if there is enough systemic in the plant. The long term solution is biological controls, or a predatory mite or insect. Sometimes it takes years for the predators we already have to develop a "taste" for new pests. Sometimes a new predator needs to be researched and introduced by entomologists. Jerry

Sorry to hear about your dog Enelram. A lot of common plants are toxic to animals (Oleanders, Peace Lilies, Cycads, Philodendrons, ivy, Japanese yew, Schefflera, Birds of Paradise, and lots of other common plants in the Florida home and landscape). Always make sure that kids and pets have no contact with poisonous plants and if thats not possible, then plant only things that are not deadly if eaten (most palms are not a problem, most cycads are). Some plants that look harmless are deadly if eaten (oleanders are actually one of the most toxic plants in the world even though they dont look it!). It looks like your sago palm is cold damaged but if its alive it will make a new flush of fronds when the weather is consistently warm. Good luck! -Alex

Thanks for the comments. Here are a few more pics! My sago palm is in a corner. I guess thats my plant hospital-no one can see it-but I can easily care for it. Windmill palm planted this year is looking good in shade. I think its on its 3rd frond . Next is a pic of my sabal domingensis, also newly planted this spring. Its pushed 1 and a half fronds this year. Not bad considering its in a pretty good amount of shade and still a pretty young palm. Also new for this year is my european fan palm. It has a pup on the side of it which is about to open its first frond. Sabal minor in its second year and growing very fast considering its a sabal minor! Its already pushed out a full frond and the second frond is unfolding. I wouldnt be surprised to get 3 fronds by the end of the summer. My sabal minors 'trunk'. It looks like it is actually growing above the ground, but maybe its planted too shallow. I think Ill have to add a little mulch in the fall since the roots are pretty exposed, but I think they have always been exposed. Do you think it should have some more soil on the top? NEW VOCAB WORD FOR ME! This is the 'hastula' of my Sabal domingensis. Apparently its where the petiole meets the base of the leaflets. On palmetto shaped fans its more spearlike. Im pretty sure sabal domingensis is a palmetto shaped leaf and heres a pic of the 'hastula' on it. And here is the 'hastula' on my sabal minor. So Im going to guess the longer the hastula is, the more coastapalmate (that palmetto shaped leaf) the frond is. I guess its a pretty good way to determine if a sabal minor is a minor or a palmetto at a young age. You learn a new thing every day! My new and first crape myrtle which is a crape myrtle zuni. They are starting to become pretty common in the area (maybe almost as common as southern magnolias). They are all in bloom now, but mine looks like it has about a week before the first blooms open. Heres my parlor palm and stromanthe in the shade doing well. They made it through 4 days of 100 degree weather in the shade with no leaf burn. I was very impressed. I have a peace lily in even more shade further to the back and it also had no leaf burn from the recent heat. Heres my tree fern which is growing at a pretty good speed. wsg89, Gardening can be very frustrating at times, and relaxing at others, but in the end its a great hobby. I think we have all lost a few plants. This year (from spring to now) I lost a bismarkia (I guess it didnt like the indoor atmosphere), musella (it just didnt like being shipped), one hibiscus, and definitely a few other plants also. Its disappointing to see plants die, but we learn from our mistakes and I definitely buy more than I lose! Greg, Thats definitely one of the reasons to by at a nursury. And you know the quality of fruit will be good on a grafted plant since it will fruit just like its mother. You just have to know which plants you have to buy grafted and which can be easily grown from seed. Laura, Thanks for the compliment. You have a beautiful yard also! I love those huge sabal palmettos and healthy pindo palms! Thanks for looking! Enjoy! -Alex

Hey Randy. Thanks for the support. The variegated Cycas Taitungensis specimens growing here at the Chumley Estate are finally producing pups that are beautifully variegated and growing at a very rapid pace. I have not given up hope of producing seed from these magnificent plants, but unfortunately most are of the male gender and that makes it very slow. Sinse Taitungensis rarely ever pup, I had to take a machete and scar the trunks in order to get them to start producing pups (basil offshoots) and it certainly has been sucessful. I now have a waiting list for variegated cycads and I try to accomodate everyone's wishes. how is your Variegated Plant Website doing? You and Sherm have such nice items that are the best quality. The Crinums, ferns, and other species that I received from you are quite a conversation piece with everyone who visits here. Thanks .......Robert Chumley Here is a link that might be useful: Chumley Cycads