Mexico City removes more than 2,000 diseased palm trees

Mexico City removed 2,072 diseased Canary Island palms over the past year and planted 1,663 healthy trees in their place.

The work forms part of the city’s Comprehensive Palm Care Program, launched on Aug. 21, 2025, by the Secretariat of the Environment. The program targets a plant-health epidemic affecting the species and seeks to reduce the risk of palms falling in public areas.

According to the second government report of Clara Brugada’s administration, officials have carried out 3,177 palm removals, eliminated 3,165 stumps and planted 2,975 new trees across 12 boroughs during the current administration. The city expects to reach 3,240 palm removals and 3,064 planted trees by the end of 2026.

The administration also reported pruning 777 trees and removing 1,335 trees considered highly dangerous or affected by mistletoe. It said 149 training, accreditation and revalidation courses prepared 2,602 participants for urban tree pruning, removal and assessment.

Authorities previously said the first phase, involving the removal of 1,500 diseased palms, had been completed. The city has about 15,000 palms in total, with roughly 9,000 diseased at some stage or standing dead. Officials plan to replace removed Canary Island palms with native species from the Valley of Mexico.