What am I? Some sort of palm?

[Kaiya]

We inherited this plant but we don't know what it is. The barrel fell apart today and we discovered it's potbound. Plus it's not looking brilliantly healthy... We've bought a new barrel but are not sure what type of compost (if it matters) to use to repot it, and whether to trim the roots at all.

Does anyonw know what this might be or how to treat it?

[veggiechicken]

Looks like a Chusan Palm Trachycarpus fortunei, the Chusan Palm to buy online from Big Plant Nursery

[Glutton4...]

Agreed!

Looks like it needs some TLC.

[Kaiya]

Thank you! It does match up as a Chusan Palm in description albeit not on the speed of growth side (hasn't changed size in about the 3 years we've known it). On repotting we discovered the pot was full of bricks and even a section of crazy paving, complete with cement! The plant had replaced most of the compost with roots. I pruned the root ball and removed the hardcore, and we've repotted it in a new barrel with a good couple of inches of large pea gravel in the base (and holes in the barrel base), fresh compost, and a top dressing of more gravel. I trimed some of the lower dead leaves but left the rest in case we need to cover it and use them to support the cover. Fingers crossed it forgives our inadequacies!

[veggiechicken]

I don't think there are many plants that would grow in bricks and cement
It'll probably romp away now!