this plants growth looked like a sword blade. it had quite a few "blades". they were app. 1¼"- 1½" wide and some were wider. they were 3ft.- 4ft. high. they were a deep green w/some white and shiny. there was guite a few in one cluster. my wife thinks it was some kind of cactus. we sort of did'nt get it in soon enough and "Mr. Frost" got it.
thank you,
larry stains

Answer #2 · Brent Wilson's Answer · Hi Larry - Based on the description, John gave you some good possibilities. Another to consider would be Yucca. Though I would think these to be hardy in your area?

Silver Edge Yucca - www.gardenality.com/Plants/1974/Cactus-and-Succulents/Bright-Edge-Yucca.html

Color Guard Yucca - www.gardenality.com/Plants/177/Shrubs/Color-Guard-Yucca.html

If you can upload a picture to this question, I'm sure we can identify it for you. To do that, click on the "Upload A Picture" link that appears to the right of the "Edit this question" link in your question above.

Brent)

Answer #1 · John Heider's Answer · Larry-Do you still have any part of the plant you could take a picture of? Maybe you have seen this plant in your neighborhood that you can take a picture of. A little more information about the plant will help in finding the plant in question. Were all the leaves coming up from a central location at the ground or coming off a stem or trunk above the ground? Were the leaves stiff and pointing upward or did they have a tendency to bend or drupe downward? Do you know if it has a flower or another characteristic along with the sword shaped leaves? Being from calif., the first plant that comes to mind is commonly called Flax or New Zealand Flax, (Dianella tasmanica). It comes in a variegated, green, and a red variety. Your wife thinking it looked as though it may have been a cactus of sorts brings up a few more plants to think about. I have listed a few plants below that you can find on Gardenality's plant files by going to the ‘Plants’ tab above or Google them to look at their pictures. This may lead us to the type of plant you had. With more information those more familiar with your area may be of some help also. To the right of your name in your posted question you will see where you can upload a picture.

Australian Flax (Phormium tenax)
American Century Plant (Agave americana)
Golden Streak Dianella (Dianella ensifolia)
Sansevierias (Sansevieria cylindrica) cactus
Palms (Cordyline autralis))