beaucarnea
( boh - KARN - ee - uh )
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At-A-Glance InformationThis critically endangered genus of palms is popular in the indoor and outdoor plant trades. They are heavily illegally harvested in their native range, and are commonly called Ponytail Palm or Elephant's Foot. Young plants provide ground-level foliage, and mature plants form trees with swollen bases and branches topped with tufts of long, cascading foliage. Much older trees will produce large infloresences of yellow to white flowers.
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beaucarnea species and varietals
The genus Beaucarnea is a member of the plant family Asparagaceae and includes about 13 distinct species. The genus is very similar to Nolina, and is a close relative. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Beaucarnea goldmanii (Goldman's Ponytail Palm) This species of Ponytail Palm is native to Mexico and northern areas in Central America, and reaches up to 40 feet tall when mature. Trunk bases are swollen, and individual leaves can grow to be 40 inches long. This species is considered vulnerable to extinction, threatened by agriculture as well as poaching for sale in the plant trade. |
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Beaucarnea gracilis (Slender Ponytail Palm) This species is native to partial-desert areas in Mexico, and is called the Slender Ponytail Palm due to its extremely narrow leaves. Trunk is swollen at the base, and bark is greyish. Flowers will appear on very mature trees only, and are yellow to white. These are very easy plants to cultivate, and can be grown in inhospitable environments as well as in containers. Slender Ponytail Palm can be grown either indoors or outdoors. |
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Beaucarnea recurvata (Bottle Palm, Ponytail Palm) Native to Mexico, these trees need full sun or if grown indoors, bright light. They require little to no water and can reach 12-15 feet tall and 9-12 feet wide, but in ideal conditions and at an older age can reach as tall as 30 feet. One or more trunks can form on these trees that form a swollen base, which on younger plants looks a little like a giant onion. Leaves are borne in clusters and are long and drooping. Mature plants grown outdoors may produce flowers. Ponytail Palm grows well in zones 13, 16-24, H! and H2 and can be grown in any zone indoors in bright light. |
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Caring for and pruning beaucarnea recurvata Trees
Ponytail Palm trees prefer to grow in warm, dry climates, and will need some protection from frost temperatures (especially if the temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit). Pick a spot in the landscape that receives full sun to partial shade, and if you are in a cooler climate, make sure to plant it in an area that is a bit protected from cold, drying winds and frost during the winter months. In warmer climates, these trees (especially when young or getting established) benefit from some afternoon shade. Plant your tree in well-draining soil. Sandy and/or gritty soil mix works well and helps prevent water from accumulating around the roots. If soil is particularly clayey, consider amending before planting with sand or perlite, or simply grow the tree in a container filled with very well-draining potting mix. After planting, apply a layer of organic mulch around the base of the tree to help suppress weed growth and regulate soil temperature. Keep the mulch several inches away from the trunk to prevent it rotting out. If you will be growing your Ponytail Palm outdoors in a pot, make sure to ensure that the pot has drainage holes and that you use a well-draining potting mix specially formulated for succulents and/or palms.
Pruning is minimal for these trees. Simply remove any dead or yellowing leaves as needed, and trim back any damaged or unsightly growth to maintain a tidy appearance. Do not damage or attempt to prune the swollen base of the plant. Feed twice a year with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer made for palms and/or succulents in early springtime and midsummer. Ponytail Palms may need extra protection in wintertime, especially if temperatures are regularly dropping down to around freezing. Cover the plant with a frost cloth or move it to a sheltered location during the winter months to help prevent cold damage.
Growing Beaucarnea Indoors
Place your Ponytail Palm in an area of the home that gets bright indirect light and protection from direct afternoon sun. These plants prefer a temperature of between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and can tolerate occasional drops in temperature, though prefer those above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that soil is well-draining. Soil specialized for succulents and cacti are great, as are soil mixes with plenty of perlite and coarse sand. Water your plant thoroughly when the top inch or two of soil dries out, and allow excess water to drain completely. These plants don't need to be repotted frequently, and actually perform well with slightly crowded roots. Repot every 2-3 years or when the plant's roots are growing through the bottom of the pot. Use a slightly larger pot with good drainage. Remove dead, damaged, or yellowing foliage as necessary to maintain a tidy appearance.
Pruning is minimal for these trees. Simply remove any dead or yellowing leaves as needed, and trim back any damaged or unsightly growth to maintain a tidy appearance. Do not damage or attempt to prune the swollen base of the plant. Feed twice a year with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer made for palms and/or succulents in early springtime and midsummer. Ponytail Palms may need extra protection in wintertime, especially if temperatures are regularly dropping down to around freezing. Cover the plant with a frost cloth or move it to a sheltered location during the winter months to help prevent cold damage.
Growing Beaucarnea Indoors
Place your Ponytail Palm in an area of the home that gets bright indirect light and protection from direct afternoon sun. These plants prefer a temperature of between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and can tolerate occasional drops in temperature, though prefer those above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that soil is well-draining. Soil specialized for succulents and cacti are great, as are soil mixes with plenty of perlite and coarse sand. Water your plant thoroughly when the top inch or two of soil dries out, and allow excess water to drain completely. These plants don't need to be repotted frequently, and actually perform well with slightly crowded roots. Repot every 2-3 years or when the plant's roots are growing through the bottom of the pot. Use a slightly larger pot with good drainage. Remove dead, damaged, or yellowing foliage as necessary to maintain a tidy appearance.
Propagation
Beaucarnea can be propagated from seed or by dividing young offsets from their established parent tree. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your tree, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Beaucarnea by Seed
Propagating Beaucarnea by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; adult Ponytail Palm trees will naturally produce side shoots that can be removed from the parent tree and transplanted elsewhere. You will need a sharp clean knife, rooting hormone, a plastic bag, fresh soil specialized for growing succulents and/or palms, and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere or growing them in containers). Division is best done in spring or fall (after the plant has entered dormancy and been cut to the ground, but before it has begun its new spring growth). To propagate by division, follow these steps:
Propagating Beaucarnea by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together four parts sand, 2 parts peat moss, 1 part perlite and 1 part sterile soil. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The inflorescences, once yellow and white, will start to turn brown and dry out. Only female plants will produce seeds, and seeds need to be pollinated to be viable. Place harvested seeds in a paper bag while collecting, and keep in a sealed container in a cool, dry, dark place if you will not be using them immediately. They can be stored for up to two years and still be viable.
- When you're ready to sow, take your seeds out of their container and place them on a work surface. To increase odds of germination, seeds can be soaked overnight in lukewarm water or scarified.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 10-30 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Water ocasionally by soaking the pot and then allowing it to drain, and let it dry out in between waterings. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Propagating Beaucarnea by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; adult Ponytail Palm trees will naturally produce side shoots that can be removed from the parent tree and transplanted elsewhere. You will need a sharp clean knife, rooting hormone, a plastic bag, fresh soil specialized for growing succulents and/or palms, and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere or growing them in containers). Division is best done in spring or fall (after the plant has entered dormancy and been cut to the ground, but before it has begun its new spring growth). To propagate by division, follow these steps:
- Locate the tree you'll be taking your division from and the side shoot you'll be cutting from the parent. Remove the leaves from the bottom to reveal the stem. Place your cutting in a cool, dry, dark place for 24-48 hours so that it develops a callous.
- Prepare your pot filled with soil or the area where you'll be planting your division and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Amend soil if necessary. Dip the cut end of the division in rooting hormone and tap to remove excess. Then, plant your division in the hole and fill in soil around it. Do not pack the soil down too much, as this can interfere with drainage. Water the plant, ensuring that good drainage is occurring. Place a plastic bag or greenhouse top over the division, making sure it is not touching any of the leaves. This will serve to maintain humidity around the cutting as it establishes roots.
- Air out the cover and re-moisten daily. This should provide enough moisture for optimal root growth, but if you notice that your cutting is drying out, it could use a watering.
- If you are installing your division in the landscape, apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout.
- Alternatively, pups can be propagated in-situ (while still connected to the parent plant). Simply place moistened sphagnum moss at the base of the pup where it is connected to the parent, making sure to go all the way around the base. Spray the sphagnum moss once to twice daily to keep it sufficiently moist, letting the sphagnum moss completely dry out every few days. This fluctuation in moisture should trigger roots to start growing out into the sphagnum moss, after which time the pup can be removed from the parent and placed in its own pot (or in the ground outdoors).
Unripe Beaucarnea seed pods.
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Beaucarnea seeds.
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Pups will form at the base of adult plants.
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Pups can be removed using clean shears or a knife and transplanted elsewhere.
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Problems and Pests
Ponytail Palms generally are resistant to pests and diseases, though they can suffer from problems with the following from time to time:
- Mealybugs (Indoors and Outdoors)
- Scale
- Earwigs
- Mites (Indoors and Outdoors)
- Root Rot
- Leaf Spot
- Bacterial Leaf Streak
Gallery
These plants are statement pieces, especially when they are in bloom.
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Ponytail palms are at home in desert-style and succulent gardens.
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From this photo, it is clear why these plants are commonly called Elephant Foot.
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Videos
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How to care for your Ponytail Palm.
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How to save a frost-bitten Ponytail Palm.
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Learn how to propagate your Ponytail Palm plant.
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How to repot your Ponytail Palm.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 189 - 190, Beaucarnea recurvata (Bottle Palm, Ponytail Palm)
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