In many areas there has been restricted use of water that permits homeowners to water their lawns and plants only once a week. Of course, the result is a lot of brown lawns and plants that have died, as well as annuals and perennials that failed to produce flowers. In many areas trees have begun to lose their leaves prematurely. Oaks have not set acorns that will feed wild animals as well as some birds. The first symptoms are wilting leaves that soon turn yellow and then begin to fall to the ground.
People believe that once a tree is mature it can sustain itself with little help from people.
Under normal conditions that is true, but this is not a normal year and you should water all of your trees as much as restrictions will permit. Palms of all types have more or less a massive fiber-like root system, produced in great quantity. It is a native tree but makes an excellent long-lived tree for the landscape. Many people believe the tree is slow growing, but commercial nurseries produce trees that will have a two-inch diameter in only a few years. Once the tree is transplanted in the landscape, watered and fertilized, it will grow into a good-sized tree in five or six years.