Could you possibly be watering them too much?

I haven't really studied Fatsia for here, but anything that did as well as Fatsia did where I grew up in western Washington State makes me skeptical about growing it here unless I see some growing well here. I would guess it needs cooler nights--like the fifties and sixties it would get there this time of year. (No kidding--it gets too chilly not to have a sweater handy in the evening.) There are lots of wonderful evergreens for shade here; if you don't like camellias, even the lesser-planted ones with more interesting foliage, there's Florida Anice (Illicium floridanum) with nice scented foliage and neat kinda spidery burgundy blooms in early spring, and various native agaristas, and--I shouldn't overwhelm you with choices. There are excellent nurseries in Baton Rouge--have a good time hunting!

greenelbows, Fatsia japonica actually grows fine here. It does require a loose, well-drained, slightly acid soil.

I'm looking for a good source for buying fatsia since our local garden centers don't carry them. Any ideas?

I am having a problem too with a chlorotic, drooping fatsia. Did you solve your problem? When I did a google search I found this website for honey fungus which attacks fatsias. www.webmesh.co.uk/experiment1.htm. Did you solve your problem?

I have lost 2 fatsia plants this year, before they even made it out of the garden center's pots. They just kinda started drooping and then died. I have no idea what happened, I have lots and lots of other plants that do very well for me.
Phillis

One of my early gardening 'mentors' said she always tried a plant she liked three times, and then if it died she figured it just wasn't a plant for her. There are lots of plants that do well here that people farther north or west can't grow, and I really enjoy finding them. We can sometimes find a spot for something most folks can't grow by checking its need very carefully, or more often, for me at least!-by pure dumb luck.

I finally just gave up on the Fatsia and pulled it up. I need stuff that can live happily in my yard. I will research your honey fungus idea though, since that fatsia plant was exactly the size and texture I needed.

For the poster who wanted to buy some, I got mine at Cleggs. Also Bantings in Bridge City has lots of them.