It was given to me and has lived its life in a pot thus far......I haven't a clue....
TIA

It looks a lot like Astelia chathamica Silver Spear but I'm not sure about the darker striping, they do show some variation. I had a nice big plant which made flowers but it died when we had a very harsh winter.

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

There is other Astelia species and varieties ..

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

Thanks, Janet....I've never even heard of that....

It's quite hardy and as you can see mine did very well, but when we had 7 weeks during which it never rose above freezing that was too much for it with temps as low as -17C.

I've decided to stick with what will survive.

Yes, I know that feeling. I've just come from an area that got no frost...lived there for 30-some years...move to an area with a great deal more rain and a changing climate...the first two Winters here I had nothing bothered by frost even and then this last couple of weeks have been heavy frost. I've planted things I did not expect to grow here...if they make it, fine, if not that's fine also....we have much to choose from.

The astelia is in a pot in a somewhat protected area with morning sun and up by the house. It's there along with elegia capensis, chondropetalum elephantinum, phygelius...the Gartenmeister Fuchsia right there looks done for though....lol.

Elegia capensis is interesting, I once had these in mind too. The Fuchsia is a Triphylla fuchsia which are tender, I've tried many Fuchsias but vine weevils love them in pots and they can be difficult to keep over winter. I have grown several hardy Fuchsias in two different places, one is a sheltered spot but gets too much shade, some have survived after many years but most disappeared. Whiteknights Pearl is one in the shady spot, it's still growing OK-ish.

I have several other hardy Fuchsias by my south facing wall which gets any sun we may get, most of those have survived and going strong after around 15 years and they survived the harsh winter.

I have a good size fuchsia magellanica in a 15 gal tub that was given to me and it's not looking great right now, but I do know that it will survive since I found another just like it growing in the brambles at the edge of the property. I had intended to move up here and grow all of the yummy Pacific Northwest stuff that I could not grow in SoCal. Then my friend who had a nursery here and loves Aussies and other things borderline for here, I thought...well, she closed her nursery and kept saying, "Here, take this"...lol..

You know very well that if you're one of "us" and someone hands you a plant and says "Take it"......well, we take it.

So I have a small yard now and an odd combinations of things like Vine Maple and such...and cistus...and Aussies. I'm growing things here that I did not think could take this climate. The prostanthera are not being bothered and Ihad supposed they would not like it here.

I certainly do love having new plants here that I've not seen before.

I've had desert, drought and rain...and all in all, I much prefer the maritime climate.