Beaucarnea recurvata, commonly known as Ponytail Palm, is an evergreen caudiciform shrub or small tree native to semi-desert areas of southeastern Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It typically grows up to 30 feet (90 m) tall. Where not winter hardy, it is commonly grown as a houseplant that, over time, will eventually rise to 8 feet (2.4 m) tall.
Notwithstanding its common name, Ponytail Palm is not a true palm. It is noted for having a large, swollen, often flask-shaped caudex from which rises a trunk-like stem with narrow, flat, palm-like, spreading to recurved leaves. The leaves are up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long, up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, and droop in fountain-like clusters from the branch ends. Trunks are usually single in young plants, but several smaller trunks and some sparse branching near the top may develop with age. Old plants may produce tiny creamy white flowers in clusters. The flowers rarely appear on houseplants.
Growing Conditions and General Care
Ponytail Palm is winter hardy to USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9, where it is best grown in sandy soils with sharp drainage in full sun.
This plant is a very popular houseplant in temperate climates. It should be placed in a sunny window. Ponytail Palm likes bright, warm, dry conditions and overwinter well with furnace heat. It is best grown in relatively small pots with excellent drainage, which can be moved outdoors after the last spring frost date with gradual adjustment to full sun locations and cooler temperatures. The fading leaves can be peeled off, and brown leaf tips may be clipped off.
Outdoors in summer, the plant should be given regular water but allowed to dry out between waterings. Reduce watering for a plant brought indoors for winter.
Ponytail Palm should never be top-trimmed and will respond wonderfully to a consistent feeding program in the growing season. Keep in mind, though, that it is an extremely slow-growing plant, so do not expect your desktop plant to transform into a corner specimen in 1 or 2 growing seasons.
Repotting
Repot in the spring as needed. If your goal is to grow a large Ponytail Palm, repot every year. If you want to keep it smaller, repot every other year. Ponytail Palm will thrive when slightly underpotted.
Propagation
The propagation of this plant is usually by seeds. The process is long and likely to prove tedious for the average gardener. Ponytail Palm sometimes has offsets from the base that can be potted up individually. Generally, however, this is difficult to master because of a lack of roots on the offsets. If you want to try, use a rooting hormone to stimulate new root growth.
Problems
Like all other houseplants, this plant is susceptible to spider mites, mealybugs, and scales. Potential disease problems include leaf spots, stem rots, and bacterial leaf streak.
Source: missouribotanicalgarden.org
Links
- Back to genus Beaucarnea
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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