At the National Tropical Botanic Gardens, Hawaii a Pritchardia pacifica palm about 15-20 years’ old showed a gradual drop of the fronds in the crown over several months. Another palm, Pritchardia remota, is beginning to do the same. On Kauii, several Pritchardia pacifica and P thurstonii used in landscaping have shown the same symptoms and the owners have cut them down.

It is possible these palms are suffering from boron deficiency. New leaves are small, not opening properly and somewhat twisted, but there is no leaf die-back, fruit/flower abortion or leaf tip browning.

Herbicide spray has been suggested as a cause, but these symptoms have not occurred in the collection before, and elsewhere on the island nutritional analysis of the leaves shows a deficiency in boron.