By Joyr
United Kingdom 
My 20ft high NZ cabbage palm looks very sorry for itself. It is black at the base of the trunk as if someone set fire to it and it is giving out an oily substance.
Does anyone know what it is and is it actually dying please?
I love this tree, it is a little bit of "tropical" in an ordinary garden. Thanks. Joy Rushby
18 Feb, 2011
Hi Joy and welcome to GoY! :-)
Your question is being asked several times every day - and the short answer is "frost" and "maybe".
You'll find the longer versions here -
http://www.growsonyou.com/question/show/38071
and here -
http://www.growsonyou.com/question/show/38066
Keep your fingers crossed.
18 Feb, 2011