Palm being truncated by power company

8 years ago

I have a palm in the front yard right inside the property line. The palm is now about 20' tall.

Originally, the overhead power lines were mounted on wooden posts at the street right of way line, which is about 4 to 5' outside of my property line and the palm did not interfere with the utility lines and cables.

Last year, Florida Power and Light installed new concrete power posts that's taller, but they are situated right at the property lines. Now the power lines on there posts are directly above the palm.

You can see from the picture below that the new power lines on the concrete posts are over the palm. The cable TV and phone lines are still on the old wood posts until each company comes to move them.

The power company came by and truncated the palm at the top.

Since palms do not have branches on the side and grows only straight up, will truncating it right at the top kill it?

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Comments (5)

Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Just cutting off fronds is not going to kill it. But the palm will continue to grow and eventually they will have to cut it again and again. Not sure how often they will do this. Best to remove it. Cutting off the trunk below the growth bud down where the new frond emerges will kill it. It's just a matter of time before that palm will need to be removed. But whose job is it to remove it?
Miami Cuse thanked Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
8 years ago
If they prune off fronds that touch the lines side,it soon will be taller then the lines and no need to cut it down. But, Power company's ? You never know.
Miami Cuse thanked stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
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Miami Cuse
Original Author
8 years ago
The high voltage power lines are directly above the palm right now. I think they are about 35' in the air. If the palm continue to grow it will touch those lines and possibly in high wind (or even hurricanes) would take the lines down.

The palm was NOT in the way of the power lines when it was planted back in 2003. Then the power company erected newer taller poles above it.

If it needs to go it will be a major expense - as my entire front yard is a concrete driveway except for a 10'x10' planter area where this palm is planted right in the middle. If I do nothing I guess the power company will come trim the top off once in a while and eventually there will be nothing green on it right?
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
8 years ago
Cheaper to get rid of it now than when it is even taller. A couple of guys can take than thing down in an hour.
tropicbreezent
8 years ago
I'd talk to the power company. They have a responsibility since they erected the powerlines above an existing tree. It would be their responsibility to rectify the situation they caused. If you had planted the palm under the powerlines then it would be your responbsibility. But they 'planted' their powerline over your tree, their responsibility. There's no reason you should bear the resulting cost.