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Hi, I was hoping that somebody would be able to identify this for me. I've searched online but not been able to discover what it is.
11281945_10153245278205170_1092283164_n.jpeg
 
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Would any of those varieties produce these flowers which shoot of it in the summer.
 
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Oh those are pretty!

I don't know, really. At my last house I had some type of ribbon grass that produced white and pink flowers in late summer but they looked nothing like that photo. But then you are in the UK in a very different growing environment to me.

Do you have a commercial greenhouse near where you live? I've found that plant geeks tend to work at such places; you may find an answer from folks there. Here in the US we also have a Master Gardener program that (depending on the state) offers many garden services and advice at low cost or free. Don't know if there's an equivalent thing in the UK.
 
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On the first picture, is that a long stalk or shoot coming from the interior of the plant?
 
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On the first picture, is that a long stalk or shoot coming from the interior of the plant?

The first picture is before it had flowered and so the off shoot is the buds, so it's the shoot coming from the interior of the plant.
 
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Oh those are pretty!

I don't know, really. At my last house I had some type of ribbon grass that produced white and pink flowers in late summer but they looked nothing like that photo. But then you are in the UK in a very different growing environment to me.

Do you have a commercial greenhouse near where you live? I've found that plant geeks tend to work at such places; you may find an answer from folks there. Here in the US we also have a Master Gardener program that (depending on the state) offers many garden services and advice at low cost or free. Don't know if there's an equivalent thing in the UK.

They really are pretty, i've not seen anything like it locally.

I can't think of anywhere local in which would be able to help, I have the commercial diy and garden centres that might be able to help. Thank you for your help.
 
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Welcome to the forums!

Looks like Phormium tenax variegata...common name New Zealand Flax....a New Zealand plant.

It is big, bold and architectural......it does not have dainty beautiful flowers like a ground orchid.

http://www.paramountplants.co.uk/images/shop/plant-sizes/PHORM-985.jpg

Cold/snow will kill it..you must be living in the South of Britain Sarah.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phormium#/media/File:Phormiumtenaxflowertui.jpg

http://m0.i.pbase.com/v3/76/396076/1/49862310.tenax.jpg

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=P...ChMI-_OHn9aJxgIVxbwUCh1oVAud&biw=1536&bih=728
 
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Hi, I was hoping that somebody would be able to identify this for me. I've searched online but not been able to discover what it is.


Hi and welcome to the forum :)

Although I would agree that the plant in your picture is indeed a Phormium - as these are one of my all time favorite plants and because of that I have grown just about every available variety of them for many, many years - I have to say that yours rather than being a Phormium Tenax looks to me much more like Phormium Cookianum subsp. hookeri " Tricolor "

http://northcoastgardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/PhormiumTricolor.jpg

The main reason being - that the leaves of Tenax are generally much more upright than those of Cookianum - whose leaves tend to be more arching or weeping - your flower color is more in keeping with that of Cookianum too - as they tend to be more along the yellow greenish lines rather than the reddish/orange hues of Tenax.

The other noticeable difference is that - although both species are extremely tough and will grow in most soil types as well as withstand most weather conditions - there is a very significant difference in height between the two - particularly as - Phormium Tenax can easily attain a height of anything between 2.5 to 4 meters whereas Phormium Cookianum is much more compact in width as well as height - as they rarely ever grown much taller than 1.2 to 1.5 meters.

As for cold and snow killing them off - although those conditions may well damage the foliage the roots are rarely killed off - in fact unless you are likely to be experiencing prolonged long spells of cold weather where temperatures persistently stay around the -12 C mark - it is unlikely that you would lose them - many of mine have survived similar temperatures many times over.

In fact the biggest problem is more likely to be strong winds - which although easily rectified by removing the damaged foliage - tends to make the foliage look unsightly.
 
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It looks quite fantastic and healthy. At first I thought it looks like the spider plant that I saw one, but with that shoot up and flowered, I was wrong. Do you have picture of the flowers by any chance?
 
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Thank you for all your responses, you're right gate monts it's exactly what you said it was. Thankfully the weather doesn't get much below 0 in the winter (joys of living in the south) so it should survive for a few years yet. :).
 
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It looks quite fantastic and healthy. At first I thought it looks like the spider plant that I saw one, but with that shoot up and flowered, I was wrong. Do you have picture of the flowers by any chance?

The second photo shows the flowers that are currently in bloom. It had a rather large cut back this winter after it over grew which has helped it thrive this summer.
 

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