Help Identify Palms
Nigel4ever
Posts: 16
Afternoon everyone!
I have moved house and inherited some lovely trees which I assume are "Palms".
I have no idea what they are called or how to look after them, so please help me identify (picture below) and offer any advice you have on how to look after them.
The large tree (pictured on the right) is about 9' tall, has a hairy trunk with large fan-like leaves on stalks.
It appeared to have flowered - I cut off the dead flowers, and a few scrappy lower leaves (I hope that was the right thing to do!).
The tree on the right looks equally old but has taken on a low "shrub" shape with multiple trunks. The leaves are incredibly sharp on the end, believe me. 
It would appear to have been chopped back at some point. I am wondering if I can take off the entire left-hand-side trunk to the base. I want to do this because I would like the space on the left to plant something else. (My partner wants me to dig the whole think up.)
If I were to guess, I would say that they are 30-40 years old.
I do not believe they are too tender as they were not protected over winter and seem OK.
I would like to feed them / prune them / look after them correctly.
Any help would be hugely appreciated!Thanks!
Posts
the photo on the left, the hairy trunked one in the middle is a genuine palm tree a Trachycarpus fortunei [Chusan Palm] which is very hardy. The one on the right could be a Yucca, doesn't look like a Cordyline which are very similar
I think the right hand one is a yucca. They can be very sharp
In the sticks near Peterborough
What a lovely, healthy looking palm tree (left) - we had 4 planted in our garden over 100 years ago and only one remains now - we lost one in the gales 2 weeks ago, but they were just shadows of trees - squashed inbetween other trees and shrubs. I imagine Nigel that you must be living somewhere exotic perhaps?
Definitely a Chusan and a Yucca, they go long ways on extended trunks quite naturally
both have the ability to grow enormous, I'm not sure if there are medium sized cultivars but the average UK winter won't kill them.
Wow, I am so please to be able to put names to these plants! Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan) and Yucca! Thank you everyone.
After some "googling" of the names you have provided, it would appear that there is very little maintenance or care required. Apparently, I can feed with a "palm feed" in their growing season (which I assume is beginning now) and in Autumn.
@philippa smith2 - I see that the previous owner has cut the tips off some already. I prefer their appearance uncut - so I am going to have to put up with being spiked!
In regards to pruning Yucca, this website http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/yucca/yucca-plants-care-and-pruning-tips-for-pruning-a-yucca.htm seems to suggest that I can cut the trunk and replant it somewhere else.
@Guernsey Donkey2 - I live in Exotic Sussex.
My imagination runs riots sometimes Nigel4ever! I really didn't know that the two plants grew in the U.K. - I didn't realize they were so hardy. Our palms have bright yellow flowers in hot summers - but I have never notice either bees or butterflies attracted to them.