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Re: palm

Camillo - 

I'm not sure why, but I suspect that the 'palm' you are talking
about might be Cordyline australis, not a true palm but often referred
to as a palm.  It has a woody trunk and a head of grass-like leaves
at the end of the stems.  True palms have compound leaves which are
either feather-shaped or shaped like a hand with leaflets radiating
outwards (like the palm of you hand).

Cordyline australis in our area routine becomes infested with scale
(small, rounded, brownish 'lumps' over leaves or stems), spider mites
(light webs and tiny, almost imperceptible spiders), or mealy bugs
(white cottony/webby masses).  All of these are perhaps best dealt
with using a systemic pesticide, one which is absorbed into the plant
tissue, killing the pests as they feed on the plant juices.  I have
never seen a plant actually die of these infestations, but the leaves
typically become dusted with tiny pale spots and the plants becomes
rather unsightly.  When I learned that this tree is called the Torkay
Palm, as it thrives in the southern English town of that name, I've
often wondered if it was less prone to these pests due to that more
humid climate.  The idea of cutting off such a specimen's growth to
remove this infestation might work, but I suspect that the little
beasties will return later, after the plant resprouts and grows a
new head.  See if you can try the systemic pesticide first.  It 
might also be an option to remove the plant and replace it with
something less prone to this type of attack.

At 05:10 AM 5/5/98 -0700, Catarci, Camillo wrote:
>Dear all,
>I have a small palm haunted by bugs. The guy who sprayed insecticide all
>over the plant told me the following day the bugs were all back. He
>asked me whether he could cut the trunk since the bugs are all in there.
>If he cuts the trunk, will the palm grow back, possibly without bugs?
>Thanks,
>Camillo 
>
>************************************************************************
>*
>Camillo Catarci
>Intern, In Situ  Conservation of Crop Resources
>Genetic Resources, Science and Technology Group
>IPGRI
>via delle Sette Chiese 142 00145 Rome Italy
>tel. ++39(6)51892226
>fax ++39(6)5750309
>e-mail: C.CATARCI@cgnet.com
>internet: http://www.cgiar.com/ipgri

 Sean A. O'Hara                     sean.ohara@ucop.edu
 710 Jean Street                    (510) 987-0577
 Oakland, California 94610-1459     h o r t u l u s   a p t u s
 U.S.A.                             'a garden suited to its purpose'
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