Hello, I did a sort of experiment this year, putting a whole bunch of palms in the ground and then watching to see what happened to them over the winter. I planted a mexican fan palm, windmill palm, chinese fan palms, and a small needle palm. The plan was to leave them unprotected except for some straw piles in the coldest weeks of the year. About dec, the chinese fan died, followed within a few weeks by the mexican fan. About three weeks ago, the windmill went. This coincided roughly with the onset of an almost 2 week subzero period, with a low of -8, some reported -11, but I know for a fact that where I am it was -8. Anyway, right at the onset of that cold snap I buried my needle in pampas grass straw, in hopes that it would be spared death (I mean, I hate losing these things!) and yesterday I pulled back the straw to prevent the plant "suffocating". Lo and behold, the needle is still green, a bit yellowed on the leaf tips, but the spear is healthy green and hasn't pulled! I accordign to average forecasts, the worst of the winter is now over, and I think (hope) the needle has made it! WHen it freezes to death I think I would know-the other palms changed color when they died, and their spears pulled right out. If this worked, next year I'll get more needles, and follow the same procedure.