Help Please, Can you identify this!

Hi everyone, I've not got green fingers, but have this rather large plant growing in a secluded part of my land and I have not got a clue what it is:cnfs:

Can anyone identify it, and also how can I trim it back, the leaves are really strong.

Many thanks,

Rob.

 

Looks like a phormium or New Zealand flax.

Pruning usually just involves removal of dead or damaged leaves. The leaves are really strong - they can bung up a shredder.

Any attempt to reduce the size will end up with a very messy looking plant - if it's too big it's in the wrong position

 

I cant tell you the name but think it is some sort of palm. I can tell you that its a b****r to cut. I inherited one when I moved to my current home. I managed to cut off some outer leaves with an old saw and put a rope around the rest and pulled it out with the car. Be very careful, the leaves are like swords, and dont try to compost the leaves - they takes years to rot down. Good luck with it.

 

Thankyou for the welcome and the advice. I have tryed to trim this, but it is so hard, the leaves are really strong and tough. I really don't know what to do with it now! Would anyone have any advice or thoughts on what to do with it?

 

Hi Marley Farley,
Thankyou for that, it is a fair old size, and I think it's going to take some digging up!
I do want to decrease the size as it is just too big now. I have never really noticed until this year just how big it's got :o! In summer it grows 5 long black stems out of the middle with pods on the end with seeds in. They grew last year to about 9 ft high.

 

The leaves are really tough, and there is no way you can pull them out, only the dead ones (and they are tough enough too!) How would you cut them to tidy it up? Would it be better to cut them all the way back, the reason I'm asking is because of the weight of the leaves, some of them have kinked and snapped.
Here is another picture of it from my bedroom window, can you see what I mean about the drooping leaves?

 

Leaves can be cut with decent secateurs. You should cut as low as possible to avoid leaving ugly stubs

 

Right then, I will have a cutting session tomorrow afternoon. Many thanks again for all your advice.

Rob.