Looking for a feature plant

I'm after something as a feature in a raised bed, and I thought of those spiky tree-like things that look like yuccas. I've never had anything like this before so know nothing about them. Thinking of around 3ft high. Anything that would cope here in Scotland on a site that can be a bit windy?

 

Do you mean Cordylines?
They aren't great here where I am, unless they have a sheltered enough site and free draining soil, which can be tricky.
Phormiums are easier.

 

Cordylines prefer a milder climate fumanchu. They may start off at 3ft but will mature to at least 15ft.

 

Cordylines can suffer in winter and rarely look good in containers after a couple of years as they need good soil depth to establish their long tap root. I agree with @fairygirl, a Phormium would be better. Choose one of the white and green variegated varieties which are hardier than some of the other coloured varieties.

 

Not sure how Chamaerops would do that far north but Trachycarpus would be OK, not likely to stay at three foot though, but fairly slow, especially at first.

 

Not heard of Phormium, will go and look them up, tyvm.
Pete I love that Chamaerops thing and will google that too. The main probs are it would be in the shadow of the house until about noon, and in cooler months is very frosty. And the north wind sweeps right down that front as well. I just wanted something dramatic to go in there. As usual you lot are brilliant with ideas

 

Auraucaria plunge potted will keep it small for a number of years

 

That seems to need brought inside for winter flounder- I have nowhere to put it no conservatory or greenhouse or anything.Just a wee tiny rabbit hutch of a bungalow

 

I doubt any of the 'hardy' palms would thrive unless you coul keep them very well sheltered, and that doesn't sound like the kind of site you have. They'd get shredded by the wind, and then be very vulnerable in winter.
You may have to change your idea of the type of plant, or you could be wasting money. The bog standard Phormium species would be ok, but the get much bigger than 3 feet, even up here.

 

I assume @flounder is referring to the monkey puzzle tree, I think they are pretty hardy.
A small Trachycarpus wagnerianus,once established , would be a fair bit hardier that a Phormium,, phormiums were cut to the ground around here the winter before last.

 

Monkey puzzles [Araucaria] are certainly common round here, and slow growing, but I don't know if the OP would like them. They naturally grow at high altitude and don't mind plenty of wet stuf
The problem with Phormiums is if they get wet and then there's a sudden freeze @pete, which is why that winter affected them so badly.
I've been growing them in every garden I've had, for many decades, but it wasn't until that winter that I lost any. Mine are always in raised beds or containers to help with the wet/cold.
I thought I'd lost one of my favourites - Cream Delight, but it survived because it was right beside the timber on the bed. It's still only small, having been a pretty large plant.
The species ones are much tougher though. I've seen plenty which coped with that winter no problem

 

I agree that the plain green species is hardier but I rarely see that ,the ones I have seen have been at least 6 or 7 ft high, with 15ft flower spike

 

There's a house round the corner from me which has one each side of their front door. Someone obviously thought they were a bit big, a few years ago, and cut them down - horizontally at about 3 feet!
They've grown back and look pretty normal now though

The purple species ones are nicer IMO.
The flower spikes on Phormiums are so unusual - I think a lot of folk don't care for them though. I always enjoy them.
It's always harder here to get many of them sizeable - they get enough rain and warmth through summer, but they get a bit knacked over winter and usually need a bit of attention with the scissors to get them looking good again. I expect your climate is much better for them in that respect, especially the variegated ones

 

Apart from on roundabouts or big parks, where you sometimes see the species, it's always the decorative ones I see in house gardens.

 

Yes - I think it'll mostly be the cultivated varieties I tend to see too @pete, but there's a few places with the plain species too.
I love the dark ones.