"When it comes to pruning palm trees, less is usually better. You never want to over prune your palms by subjecting them to what's called "hurricane pruning" or "hurricane cutting," where all but a few fronds are cut off. Palms are naturally able to withstand the high winds that hurricanes bring, so removing fronds isn't necessary. In fact, it can seriously damage the palm tree. When pruning palms, only remove fronds that are completely brown and that hang below the 9 o'clock or 3 o'clock position. If you hire a professional, make your wishes clear by putting them in writing. Explain that you want your palms to have a rounded canopy, not a mohawk. Always remember that the point of pruning is to remove only dead growth." 1

The above quote from The University of Florida is the current science behind palm pruning. "There is a misunderstanding that by removing almost all palm fronds, leaving only the youngest few, you create a more wind resistant palm. However, evidence5 suggests that it is not correct and “hurricane pruning” actually weakens palm trees and they could become more vulnerable to damage." 3 We believe this condition leaves the palm vulnerable to diseases like Ganoderma Butt Rot, a palm killer. Another false belief shows that "there is no research supporting the notion that removing live green fronds reduces future pruning requirements." 2 Please read the referenced articles. They come from the best sources.

One last word from the board, be very careful of wandering tree people trying to sell you on the idea of this type of pruning. It's a fear tactic developed to convince you of the need to "over-prune" your palms. Big bucks for them. They come through Sugarhill regularly looking for new uninformed customers so they can "educate" them. Also, you may think we are not tending to the palms in the common areas of Sugarhill. Not so, we are protecting the palms as the University of Florida recommends by not allowing over-punning. One other item of interest is that some counties and cities have resorted to banning hurricane cut pruning. One example is Broward County4 "repeated hurricane cuts produce a condition known as "penciling" or "bottle-neck"5 which is the narrowing of the palm trunk just below the fronds. Hurricane winds may snap off the top of the palm where the thinning has occurred allowing the top of the palm to become airborne."



In Broward County ... "Hurricane Cut" or "Candle Cut" is not only harmful to the palm, but in most cases it is a Broward County Code violation.4 This is because when the "penciled" palm top snaps off and goes flying in a hurricane it's a bad projectile.
Please read all the reference links.