This wonderful rare dwarf palm from the humid forests of the Himalayas, where it grows up to an altitude of at least 1600m (5200ft), deserves to be much more widely grown. Its elegantly arching fronds are dark green above and bright silvery white below, and the leaflets resemble a fishtail. Although slow at the beginning, it speeds up considerably with age and develops into neat clusters to about 2m tall. It is best grown in shade and suitable for subtropical and temperate climates. It will take prolonged cool weather and can tolerate moderate frosts without damage. W. densiflora also does perfectly as a house or conservatory plant and will look