Death Of A Teddy Bear (Palm)

I just lost a Teddy Bear Palm to a disease and was wondering if anyone might be able to help me indentify it. I planted it in Nov. last year. I know that was my first mistake. About two weeks after planting the lower fronds started browning at the ends. Once that started all the fronds began dying. Starting with oldest ones. After losing most of it's fronds, it was left with one large spike and one smaller plus two partially alive fronds. In the Spring it seemed as though it was recovering. The large spike began to grow and it began to open. Although the opening was very, very slow and it never finished. It stopped just a couple weeks ago. The parts of the fronds that were alive were a nice green color, no yellow. Finally, today the entire crown shaft fell off. The post mortem revealed the entire trunk was very wet and spongy inside. There was white fungus growing in there as well. At the base of the trunk was what appeared to be a round lesion approximately the size of a quarter. Maybe slightly smaller. However, this lesion was there at the time of planting, so I'm not sure it is related to it's demise. Dissection of the lesion lead to the discovery of a white "cocoon". Inside the cocoon was a 3/8" long slender black insect. The white fungus also appeared to start from this area of the trunk. I would appreciate any help in identifying the disease and any opinions on whether or not it would be acceptable to replant a palm in that spot in the spring.

Thanks,
Chris

Fascinating, absolutely fascinating. Do you have any photographs you can post? There is a guy here who is an entomologist and his wife is an entomologist too. I'm wondering if you shouldn't try to post photos and contact Gerris2 in a D-Mail and see what he and his wife think.

I'm really sorry about your tree. I have no idea what killed it but you might want to hold off planting anything in that spot until you figure out what went on. No sense sending good money after bad.

I have no answers for you (palms don't do very well here in Illinois!), but I'm interested in seeing what others might know about this. It sounds like it might be a bacterial infection. I presume it has nothing to do with the blight that's been killing so many Phoenix canariensis.
Good luck --

Guy S.

Thanks Guy and Equilibrium for the feedback and condolences. Unfortunately there isn't much to take pictures of anymore. After sitting a couple of days it is dried out and any characteristics of it's demise are now difficult to see in pictures. I guess everyone needs to learn a tough lesson in gardening to let them know it's not always as easy as its appears. :) By the way I'm originally from MN, and we don't grow many palms there either.

Thanks,
Chris.

There you have the answer to your question. The palm smelled Minnesota blood in you, and dropped dead from fright!

I'm going up there for the Green Expo the first week of January -- I'll look around Minneapolis to see how many palms I can find in the outdoor landscape there, and send you a photo of every one . . .

Guy S.