South Carolina's state tree is a palm, and the sabal palmetto grows in nearly every Lowcountry yard. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most commonly over-trimmed trees around, often cut down to a tight 'pineapple' of a few upright fronds.
Palms feed themselves through their green fronds, and they store nutrients in the older ones. Removing healthy green fronds, especially those at or above horizontal, takes away the palm's energy supply. Over time, heavily trimmed palms grow thinner trunks near the top, a condition called pencil-pointing, which is a permanent weak spot.
A proper trim removes only what's dead or dying: brown fronds, fronds hanging well below horizontal, flower stalks, and seed pods. The result is a full, rounded head, about a nine-to-three o'clock shape, that still looks neat from the street.
Trimming once or twice a year is usually plenty. Removing seed pods also cuts down on volunteer seedlings in your beds and keeps fruit off the patio.
When we trim palms, we leave the green crown intact and haul away every frond. If your palms have been over-trimmed in the past, they'll recover with a few seasons of gentler care.