Question
I have two plam fronds (not sure what type) that were given to me about three months ago. They were previously outside plants but kept in an extremely shaded area. I have taken them into my home and they have been lush and green. Almost overnight I noticed BOTH plants turn brown, dry, and brittle. One of the plams (had always been the healthier of the two) went from lush green to drying in a single day. I do not understand why this is happening!! I water them every four days. They are both kept by windows where the shades are drawn but enough sunlight gets in, and I do not see any roots showing to which it indicates that they need to be repotted. HELP HELP HELP! I do only have window units for air conditioning, and I am not home all day, so they have been in the Texas dry heat of my apartment during the daytime. Could that be a factor?


Answer
Hi Heather,

There are dozens of different palm species and they have varying requirements for light, water, etc. So I cannot be too specific without knowing which palm species you have. If you can email a photo to me at me address below, I can probably ID it for you if the photo is good quality.

Nonetheless, I suspect that your palm is suffering from lack of light and too much water. Even light-colored shades block out too much light for just about any plant. In reduced light, plants grow very slowly and use very little water, so the sudden decline in your palm is probably because the roots have rotted. If that is the case, it may already be too late to salvage it.

I look forward to receiving some photos so I can give you more specific information.

Regards,
Will Creed