Article: Indoor palms: Selecting and caring for these popular houseplants: my "palm" is losing BRAND NEW leaves!

Author Content cluelessSteph Sumner, WA April 23, 2009 4:27 AM Post #6450815 My boyfriend has what I believe is a palm. He bought it Lowe's I believe, and it's been perfectly healthy for about a year or so. In the last couple of weeks, I've noticed it's losing BRAND NEW growth. They aren't turning brown or anything, but are falling off 4 or 5 days or so after growing. And it's not just one or two a day. Today for instance, I notice 7 had fallen off. About the same for yesterday. I've also noticed it's only on one side of the plant. I don't have a picture of it, but it's got three separate trunks that are intertwined, and has very "palmy" looking leaves that sort of sprout upward and curve down when the get long enough. He has NO idea what it actually is since he didn't keep the information that came with it, but it was a very expensive plant, and we are both worried it's dying. PLEASE HELP! palmbob Tarzana, CA (Zone 9b) April 23, 2009 5:37 AM Post #6450970 that's not a palm, but I don't know what it is... need a photo cluelessSteph Sumner, WA April 26, 2009 3:57 AM Post #6463916 Here's a picture of the plant in general. I was mistaken, there are 4 trunks. Also, all of the problems are coming from one trunk, and when you feel that one, it feels like there is air trapped underneath the surface. The two sprouts OFF of that one trunk are now completely droopy and seem to by dying. I would love to know why, so we can prevent the others from doing so as well. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Click the image for an enlarged view. cluelessSteph Sumner, WA April 26, 2009 3:59 AM Post #6463920 Also, here is a picture of the problem area. I couldn't figure out how to post two pictures in one post (or if it's even possible?). Click the image for an enlarged view. cluelessSteph Sumner, WA April 26, 2009 4:01 AM Post #6463926 Me again, I realized I chose the wrong pic for the overall image of the plant. Here's a better one. Click the image for an enlarged view. palmbob Tarzana, CA (Zone 9b) April 26, 2009 4:58 AM Post #6464060 that is a dracaena marginata, a relative of the agave. Those branches are rotting... be sure you are not overwatering this plant.. .these are very drought tolerant plants- not like palms at all. I am no expert on these, but I would toss out the soil, clean up the roots (rinse them off well) and restart with new well draining soil, and perhaps not water it for a few weeks to a month. cluelessSteph Sumner, WA April 26, 2009 6:19 PM Post #6465960 Wow, we've been doing ALL the wrong things! Do you think the rotting branches are salvageable, or should we toss it? palmbob Tarzana, CA (Zone 9b) April 26, 2009 8:51 PM Post #6466506 No. I would cut them off... treat the cut ends with rooting hormone or some antifungal powder but be sure they look like healthy tissue... if not, cut back farther cluelessSteph Sumner, WA April 27, 2009 3:42 AM Post #6468530 Thank you SO much. We'll try that tomorrow, and if I have any more questions, I'll let you know!

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