Ponytail Palm

The Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvaye) is a wonderful drought tolerant plant. Unlike its name suggests, it is not a palm nor does it look like one but is actually a relative to the yucca. Native to Mexico, this plant can grow upwards of 16 feet in its natural habitat. Indoors it can reach 6 feet though this won’t happen for many years if bought as a smaller plant because it is slow growing. It has a swollen caudex (stem) that stores water. This plant is also called Elephant Foot because of the shape and rough cracked texture of the caudex. It has a fountain of long narrow green leaves that come from the top and hang like a ponytail.

AKA: Elephant Foot

Light: Bright indirect to direct light; south or west window.

Watering: Water thoroughly until water comes out of the drainage hole; discard excess to avoid root rot. Allow to dry out again before watering as you would with a succulent.

Humidity: Warm; average home humidity to dry air.

Toxicity: Non toxic to cats, dogs and humans.

Potting Mix: Porous and fast draining like a cactus/succulent mix.

Soil: Fast draining soil.

Additional Care: Prefers to be pot bound. Dust with room temperature water in a spray bottle. Excellent tree for bonsai.