palm tree dilemma

[ilovesushi]

We have a palm tree in the middle of our front lawn. I've been thinking for years of digging it up and moving it or giving it away, but it has grown so big and the trunk is so thick, I don't think it would be possible without some serious digging equipment. I am loathe to cut it down but I would much rather put a magnolia or cherry tree in that spot. I would never have planted it myself but it's grown on me over the years. I have a love/hate relationship with it I think. Any thoughts?

I've seen people advertise them as free but taker has to dig it up and transport it home?

How much would an equivlent plant cost to buy? If it is cheaper to move it then someone might be willing to take it away.

IMO you can't not change your garden just because someone once chose something years ago - make a really good effort to pass the plant on and if that will not work it is OK to remove a plant and replace with something else. Plants are a renewable resource, so long as we are thoughtful about it that is fine - it is normal to change gardens at times.

I once got chatting to a tree surgeon who said that he is sometimes asked to get rid of big things like palms and olive trees. They are worth a lot of money, so he digs them up and sells them on.

It might be worth asking around to see if anyone wants it, and who can come and collect it.

Thanks for the thoughts. A few people I know locally have told me they would be interested in taking it and willing to dig it up themselves. But when they've come round to look they've baulked at the size of it. Height wise its palms are almost level with the upstairs windows. The trunk is thick too. Not a clue of its sale value but I would guess at lot! Contacting a tree surgeon who could sell it on is a great idea. I couldn't cut it down, it would just feel wrong even though I would be replacing it with another tree.

Just a warning....we had a 15 foot palm tree (cordyline australis) and one year the frost got to it, and it died. So we got a tree surgeon in to take it down and grind away the stump.

A year later, I noticed some spiky leaves growing in the bed.....it was the palm tree, resurrected, like Lazarus! It's now as tall as its predecessor. Fortunately, we were very pleased, as we love ours, and it's in a good position.

What I'm trying to say is - it may be harder to get rid of than you expect.

Oh no! I can see that happening to us. I have been googling and I think we have a hardy fan palm (trachycarpus forunei). It is described as slow growing but looking back at photos of when we moved in about 10 years ago, it has shot up. Apparently they can grow to 20 metres! It's slap bang in the middle of the lawn in front of the house. It looked okay smallish and ornamental but is starting to look a bit bizarre.

When I moved in, mini palms occasionally sprouted through the decking and I pulled them up. Eventually I missed one and it was too strong to pull when I spotted it. Five years later it’s about 7 feet high, double crown with at least six flower spikes, there will be loads of the little b*s coming through! Possibly cordyline australis.

NDs cherished specimen, front garden, died during the ‘Beast from the East’. So difficult to get rid of and difficult to keep, IME!

Find a specialist Facebook gardening page like UK Tropical Gardens and pop it on there. I've seen some HUGE beasts dug up and collected as prices really have skyrocketed and people, especially gardeners, are willing to put some graft in for a freebie