Yucca plant type thing

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Discussion

OldBuoy

Original Poster:

26,952 posts

182 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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Hi all

I've had this yucca type thing in the garden for yrs (it's not an actual yucca I don't think but that's the nearest thing I can recall)

It sent up 4 or 5, 2.5m spears this yr (not done this before) now the seeds have dropped should I cut the spears off? The seem very solid woody things.

T.Y.I.A.

Big Al.

68,795 posts

257 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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I do just to tidy up the plant really.

Simpo Two

85,147 posts

264 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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Could be a cordyline. Mine gets dead droopy bits which I cut off.

Kneetrembler

2,069 posts

201 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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If it's a Yucca then you can just cut the main shaft of the Yucca tree in half and just plant straight into a medium and in 1 year you will have 2 as they do in Spain or cut in 4 and you will double, that's just the way they grow.

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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Simpo Two said:
Could be a cordyline. Mine gets dead droopy bits which I cut off.
Yup, sounds like a cordyline. After they flower the tend to split into two branches and become a very handsome tree. Once it's done it's thing flowering cut them off if it's looking scruffy.

This it?


OldBuoy

Original Poster:

26,952 posts

182 months

Saturday 30th August 2014
quotequote all
This is the thing. Not that clear from the photo but the spears tower 0.7m ish above the fence.


B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Saturday 30th August 2014
quotequote all
Ah, okay. That's a phormium tenax (New Zealand flax). A nice one too smile

Edited by B17NNS on Saturday 30th August 10:50

OldBuoy

Original Poster:

26,952 posts

182 months

Saturday 30th August 2014
quotequote all
B17NNS said:
Ah, okay. That's a phormium tenax (New Zealand flax). A nice one too smile

Edited by B17NNS on Saturday 30th August 10:50
Thank's. Leave spears on or cut em orf? They're quite woody and solid.

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Saturday 30th August 2014
quotequote all
OldBuoy said:
Thank's. Leave spears on or cut em orf? They're quite woody and solid.
You won't harm the plant by removing them (or by leaving them on until spring). Purely an aesthetic decision.

OldBuoy

Original Poster:

26,952 posts

182 months

Saturday 30th August 2014
quotequote all
B17NNS said:
You won't harm the plant by removing them (or by leaving them on until spring). Purely an aesthetic decision.
Okay.

Tahiti

987 posts

246 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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I tend to lop them off mine. It just tidies the whole thing up.

elanfan

5,516 posts

226 months

Sunday 14th September 2014
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My Mum had one that did the flowering thing. Although the spears look quite solid they are hollow and quite light. Very easy to break off and dispose of once they've dried out.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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It's best to cut them off once they've died as they will sit there forever otherwise.

Phormiums can be a bit thuggish, if they get too big, cut the lower, outer leaves off to control.

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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Johnnytheboy said:
It's best to cut them off once they've died as they will sit there forever otherwise.
I think they provide a bit of other worldly architectural interest in the winter months (but I like my plants weird and wonderful)l smile

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Monday 15th September 2014
quotequote all
B17NNS said:
I think they provide a bit of other worldly architectural interest in the winter months (but I like my plants weird and wonderful)l smile
Entirely your decision, as you said, it doesn't harm the plant.

The only one I have anything to do with is at my father's house and the old flowers tend to flop over quite quickly, but when they stay upright, they have a certain triffidy charm laugh

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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Johnnytheboy said:
they have a certain triffidy charm laugh
biggrin Yes. I've got a small agave collection, those things are totally bonkers when they flower (very, very rare for it to happen in the UK unfortunately). Takes them about 40 years to muster up the energy, then they fire up a stalk up to 8m tall and then they die laugh