Many posts have alluded to the 20-30 foot Trachycarpus Fortunei at the Smithsonian Castle that was planted in the Spring a few years ago. It is true that it died and is no longer there. I can tell you what happened to that palm as I spoke to one of the garden staff at the Smithsonian Castle a few weeks ago. It was planted one spring and seemed to do well into the late fall. When colder temperatures threatened in December, the gardener got nervous and wrapped the whole crown with large Christmas lights and sealed it off with plastic wrap to keep it dry. He left the lights on all winter and what he discovered was he fried it with too much heat and not enough ventilation. He admitted that it would have been better to leave the palm alone as it would have survived on its own. They are growing replacements in the greenhouse and when they reach 6-8 feet tall they will try again, this time with no Christmas lights and plastic. There is a 6 foot Trachycarpus Fortunei on the Independence Avenue side of the Air & Space Museum near the food court along with several Sabal Minors and Needle Palms that have been in the ground with no protection since 1987. I saw them on the same trip downtown and all of them look great. It gives me great hope mine will be fine in the spring.