If that Kentia grows, you will have one very nice palm. I am trying to grow one, even though most people tell me its very difficult to grow in South Florida. I love how they look when they get trunk.

I was tempted a few weeks back to buy a tree fern. How hardy are they? It looks so delicate.

nice !

Kitchenshock, the kentia got some damage from frost this winter, but it is still a seedling and went through without any protection or overhead cover. However, there is a queen palm that is planted less than 6 feet from it and when that one forms a canopy, the Kentia will be an understory palm for a long time before it is once again exposed to frost (if ever, since the queen will most certainly always be taller). Even so, it has already proved to be a tough individual. In Jan 2007, we had a freeze with low temps in the low 20s for about a week. This is the only kentia out of a trio that survived (completely burned back and defoliated, but survived).
The Australian Tree Fern also went through the same freeze. It lost all of its leaves, and was a bare stump for about a month before resuming growth. You should have seen my yard right after the freeze, it was all bare and brown, i even lost a young queen palm. Luckily, everything rebounded and is once again as green as they use to be.

Here is a majesty palm that i am experimenting with. It had no protection this whole winter and it has really surprised me. Once again, this one started off as a houseplant, but eventually found its way outdoors. It is already opening up a frond and has two more on the way. It will also be protected in years to come by a nearby queen.

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