Traveler’s Palms, Drama Queens, Need Help!

Searching for something dramatic to attract attention at the end of my looong garden/back yard, I came across an almost identical pair of Traveler's Palms (yup, I know, not real palms). Friends have a glorious pair of these palms that seem to have been stuck in just the right places. In two years, they’ve grown more than 12 feet tall

I bought the semi-palms but failed to consider another challenge to these plants: the winds. Last year at this time, I was just settling in. If I noticed the wind at all, it was probably to be thankful for an occasional bit of breeze in this hot weather.

Shredded leaves
Now that the leaves, which are sort of like banana leaves, have been ripped to shreds by the wind, I have some thoughts about what to do. Nothing yet, however, qualifies as an idea. I have read that these palms need some sort of wind barriers. That doesn’t sound very dramatic to me but I could be completely wrong. I’m open to ideas.

All suggestions are welcomed.

Mealy Bugs and/or aphids or?

My apologies for imposing by sending two photos. The first shot shows how the plants looked 4 or 5 days ago. A lot more signs of dryness of the leaves have now appeared.

This second photo is a closeup of the bug or bugs, I think the browning around the edges and sometimes more of each leaf is mealy bug damage. Please correct me if I’m wrong. Clearly, I’m using the wrong anti-bug spray, in any case.

Leaves on both plants are rapidly deteriorating but the leaves on the far left are nearly dead.

To prune or not?

I’ve read at least two sides of the arguments for pruning and against it. If I don’t cut off the bottom fronds, I don’t see that they will magically spring back to life. But I would be left with only three or four leaves in the center of each plant. That pruning would leave them completely unprotected.

Or Move?
The palms are planted against the East Wall, according to my map, any suggestions for protection or for a better direction or place to move them?

Not palms first of all... these plants are very intolerant of dry winds. Do much better in very humid climates. No idea what to tell you, but recommend plant against a tall building on the side the sees the least wind (and perhaps the most sun?).

Thanks PalmBob!
Tarzana is a nifty place.

As I said in my intitial posting, I know these aren't pure palms, at best semi-palms and, depending upon the expert who's talking, they are either more like banana trees or more like Birds of Paradise or any number of other cousins.

As I'm sitting here in April roasting in the humid 100 degree F heat of Merida in SE Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Zone 11, I must add that dry heat is not the problem. Moreover, the plants are flat up against a tall rock wall as you can see in the first photo.

I think the walls may create one of the problems. My long sort of narrow garden is walled in on 3 sides with tall rock walls. The fourth side is the 3 storey house. A sort of wind tunnel effect creates wind storms out of small breezes.

On (real) Palm sites, pruning is consider a bad thing, I gather. However, I just noticed that green shoots are poking through the dying leaves on the most badly beaten and bug-infested plant. When it's cooler, either tonight after my Spanish class or early tomorrow morning, I'm going to prune.

I also plan to ask some architects and carpenters about buiding some sort of open trestle around the plants. It would cut the velocity of the wind and still allow plenty of sunshine.

As for the bugs, i'll ask at the bug forum. They simply do not look like the average mealy bug. Living in strict military formation, as they are, makes me think something else is involved. Maybe it's a political statement.

Happy Spring in Tarzana!

The palm fronds are gone. I decided that it couldn't be a good thing to have nearly dead leaves pulling water and nutrients away from the already struggling plants.

Hope springs eternal. I'll send you a photo when they flourish.

Barbara