what's this?

mark.allchurch

Hi,

i have a large palm that, for the first time, has sprouted several 4-5ft stems with what appear to be seed pods on them.

do i need to cut these back for winter?

Fairygirl

Hi Mark - it's a Phormium, and those are the flower stems. 

Like many plants of this kind, the flowers are interesting, rather than flashy, and what you have in the photo are the seedheads which follow the flowers after they finish. You can cut them down near the main part of the foliage if you want, or leave them on - whichever you prefer. 

Last edited: 10 September 2017 09:34:56

mark.allchurch

Thanks Fairygirl.

i like the contrast of the dark against the green but if i leave them will they flower again next year?

Fairygirl

They don't tend to flower annually in the way most plants do - they're a bit random.

You can have two identical plants, in identical conditions, and one will flower and the other won't! They can take several years to flower too, and may only flower once.