What's eating my dwarf palmetto?

Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor) is one of the hardiest palms and has few serious pest problems. Palm leaf skeletonizer occasionally attacks the fronds in southeastern US gardens. Scale insects may appear on stressed plants. Deer will browse young growth but mature plants with tough, rigid fronds are largely left alone.

Leaflets stripped to dry papery remnants with silky webbing on the frond undersides; mainly affects older, outer fronds. Apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) or spinosad to frond undersides at first larval sign. Remove heavily affected fronds before spraying. Light infestations on established palms rarely warrant treatment.

White to tan armored scales on frond midribs; yellowish fronds and slow growth under heavy infestations. Spray horticultural oil at crawler stage in spring. Established landscape specimens often recover with minimal input as natural predators build up.

Browsing of young emerging fronds in winter when other food is scarce. Surround young transplants with wire cages or use deer repellent spray. Mature Dwarf Palmettos with stiff fronds are rarely browsed significantly.