On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 01:20:49 +0100, Bernard Peek
wrote:


It has a central stalk that has obviously been damaged, and the growing
fronds are sticking out in a circle from its base. I think a healthy
specimen has fronds growing out from the top of the stem. Is there any
way to get this specimen back to full health, or have we wasted the 50p
it cost us?


It sounds like D Squarrosa. You often get "pups" appearing at the
base. I have one and thought I'd lost it through leaving it out one
unusually cold night. However, a new one is now growing from the base,
and throughout the summer, more fronds will appear all round the
deceased trunk.

So try to keep it going.

They're are nowhere near as hardy as D Antarctica and you'll lose it
if it's exposed to anything below -7. The fronds will shrivel at about
-4.

Cheers,

Tom.