Question
I've had a potted palm for about 18 years now. The crown was dying back badly last summer, so I repotted it (I'd last repotted it about 5 years ago). Since then, I keep hoping for a new leaf, but haven't gotten one. Now, I've recently noticed that the trunk is turning a sickly color, from the ground up (about a third of the way up). Is my tree (of which I'm quite fond, after all these years) a goner? Already dead? (the sole surviving leaf up top is still green) Or is there something I can still do to save it? (the tree has been an indoor plant, virtually it's entire life---it has to be now, in Michigan!)

Answer
Hi JC,

Sadly, the likelihood that your palm will survive is very small.  It sounds as though there is some sort of root/vascular disease that is slowly consuming the plant.  In some plants, you can root the tops and rescue a plant with such problems; palms are often not amenable to such propagation in the home since specific humidity and hormone treatments are often necessary for the tops to root.  Depending on the species, this may be an option, but that would be a long shot since there is no guarantee that the pathogen would not be transmitted along with the cutting.

Sorry for the bad news.