A recurring theme?

I hurried home after work yesterday to liberate my mail order palms from the confines of their large rectangular box. I talked myself into sticking the European fan palm in a prominent position on the slope of my front yard, which faces south and takes the full sun all day long. After the plant was sited, I was surprised to find that its central growth spear was rotten and pulled out with a gentle tug. Except for that, the plant looks great.

Now the former Dave would have ripped that sucker out of the ground. But the new and slightly more educated Dave has decided to give it a month or so and see what happens. The rest of the palm looks healthy, and perhaps a new bud will arise. If not, it's guaranteed for a year, so nothing's lost. And it looks soooo good in my front yard.