Lethal bronzing disease (LBD) is known as a highly worrisome condition for palm trees. Formerly named Texas Phoenix palm decline (TPPD), the disease has become known for eviscerating palm trees across other areas such as Florida and Louisiana in recent years.
If you have palm trees around your residential or commercial property, it is important to learn about the hazards of LBD. This not only helps you understand the gravity of the disease but also motivates you to take effective steps to protect your trees.
If you require help with lethal bronzing, want to know more about Texas phoenix palm decline, and need to know more about the Chinese fan palm, the edible date palm, the queen palm, the palm species in general and need assistance with lethal bronzing, let us know.
At ECO Tree Experts, we are a full-service eco-friendly tree company with a commitment to excellent service, fair pricing, and personalized care. We are a team of professional tree experts and certified arborists who are passionate about helping people and the environment. We offer an array of arborist services across various industries in the West Palm Beach area to ensure the beauty and safety of your property.
Our services range from residential tree removal to golf course management and municipal services. Call us today for a free estimate on your tree service needs! To support you through this learning curve, here’s a detailed guide to the most common dangers of lethal bronzing in trees.
What is Lethal Bronzing Disease?
First discovered in Florida in 2006, LBD stems from a phytoplasma. This phytoplasma is very similar to the lethal yellowing disease that is also found in palm trees. With that being said, both phytoplasmas remain different and easily discernible when tested. Their ongoing symptoms and effects are also quite distinct from one another.
As suggested by its name, the lethal bronzing disease is a fatal condition. When a tree is infected by LBD, it can take a while to show any clear symptoms. But when these signs of infection start becoming evident, it means that the tree has already started on its path towards a steady decline and eventual death.
Merely thinking about this fate can bring a world of worry to your mind, especially if you have multiple palm trees on your property. Thankfully, you can still keep an eye out for the symptoms and dangers of this condition even when their presence means that you have to take drastic actions for the infected tree.
If you have questions about your queen palm, the wild date palm, sabal palms, coconut palm, or the palm species in general and require assistance with this matter in West Palm Beach, FL, and surrounding areas, give ECO Tree Experts a call today.
What Are the Dangers of LBD in Florida?
There are various hazards that are associated with LBD, the most prominent of which is the eventual death of the infected tree. But there are various other dangers that go beyond the loss of a single tree itself.
When one of your palm trees is infected with LBD, it poses the danger of affecting any nearby trees. Since LBD is not easily detectable until it is too late, a single infected tree can kill all nearby palm trees if immediate action is not taken to contain the disease.
Due to this reason, LBD remains a highly challenging situation for homeowners and commercial property owners alike. That is also why it is important that you take preventive measures, while also looking for the telltale signs of LBD infection and springing into action at the first possible symptom.
What Are the Symptoms of an LBD Infection?
The most common symptoms of lethal bronzing are quite evident after the infection.
This includes the following signs.
- Fruits fall prematurely.
- Inflorescences become necrotic or deceased.
- Leaves become discolored from the ground up.
- Spear leaf falls to indicate the death of the palm’s bud.
It is important to note that LBD can infect trees at any stage, which means that any trees that are not bearing fruit or inflorescences may also become infected. But seeing that such cases don’t have the ability to present the symptoms related to fruit and inflorescence health, you need to be extra careful about the other signs.
When your palm tree shows symptoms or tests positive for a lethal bronzing disease, it is essentially considered lost to the disease. At this point of the infection where visible or scientific symptoms are present, there is no medication or antibiotic treatment that could reverse the damage.
How to Manage LBD?
The first and foremost action to manage LBD is removing the infected tree from the ground. This saves nearby trees from getting the infection and being led to their untimely death. But this action only remains relevant where active infections are involved.
In cases where you are trying to prevent LBD in healthy trees with no present infection nearby, you need to take the preventative medication route. This uses specialized antibiotic injections that can be obtained through a qualified arborist.
These injections require a course of oxytetracycline HCl (OTC). This treatment is injected in all of your palm trees every 3-4 months. It can continue as a preventative measure for at least two years. For the best possible approach, you should speak to a professional at ECO Tree Experts who specializes in handling tree health and battling infectious plant diseases.
Our professionals understand matters related to the pygmy date palm, coconut palms, the Christmas palm, the cabbage palm and know the difference between infected palms and healthy palms. We want to mitigate significant palm losses and would like to address issues as quickly as possible.
Contact Seasoned Tree Specialists in West Palm Beach, FL Today!
At ECO Tree Experts, our qualified arborists in West Palm Beach, FL bring specialized experience to the table. In addition to taking care of your trees, this also helps you save your time from handling their ongoing care.
With our approach to the effective management of infectious diseases in plants, our team can help you prevent and manage LBD in your palm trees. Simply reach out to us for a free consultation today, and we will be glad to help you keep your trees safe and healthy.