Palm Tree vs. Oak Tree

If you have ever looked at a palm tree and wondered how is palm tree pruning different from other trees (yes, we all do), we have an answer for you. Palm tree pruning differs from, for example, an oak tree pruning, significantly. These differences come from the fact that palm trees and oak trees belong to two different categories of flowering plants. 

Palm trees are a part of a species of flowering plant that is similar to a blade of grass than an oak tree. Like a blade of grass, they only develop vertically. Palm trees are a part of the Moncocate classification, not the Dicot classification.  

 

Palm Tree and Oak Tree Growth PatternsTampa Tree Care How Is Palm Tree Pruning Different

A wood trunk sustains an oak tree. A palm tree isn’t made of wood, but instead has a base that consists of enlarged cells and an overlapping leaf base. Palm trees have no cambium to boost the girth or meristems at the end of every branch. 

The new fronds develop straight up out of the center and slump further down as new ones spring out, ultimately dying and making a brown beard at the bottom.  

The circumference of the palm tree improves as new fibers are coming out of the middle moving older fibers outward. The growth pattern of palms is nonstop, and the brown beard is consistently being re-created.

 

Palm Tree Pruning

It’s time for palm tree pruning when:

  • Fruits and flowers are falling on your walkways, driveways, and sidewalks, creating a slipping hazard.
  • The palm tree too much beard that has attracted bugs and pests.
  • Cracked fronds that can fall on passersby.
  • Extremely unattractive.

The last reason bears scrutiny.  In the best interest of a palm tree’s health, tree pruning has to be performed with a light hand. Overly diligent palm tree pruning can take off the sun protection a palm loves and destroy the tree’s energy.

Pruning only when needed can reduce the stress to the tree. Get in touch with a Tampa tree service company to have tree care professional to prune your trees correctly.