Ponytail palm

This has always been one of my favorite houseplants. It asks very little. It gives so much in return. It’s graceful, yet it can be rustic. It’s happy with almost any indoor surroundings.

When I needed a quick photo of ponytails for my story, I knew that Calloway’s would have them.

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Ponytails – I can tell you better with quick facts…
• Scientific name: Beaucarnea recurvata
• Common name: ponytail palm or pony tail palm
• Family: Asparagaceae
• Native home: Mexico
• Height at maturity: 5-7 ft.
• Width at maturity: 4-5 ft.
• Hardiness Zone: 10-11 (no freezing weather)
• Light exposure: full sun spring and fall, but not in mid-summer (especially if it has been in indoor or shaded conditions); bright indoor light while inside the house
• Soil preference: porous, well-draining or sandy loam
• Fertilizer needs: diluted, high-nitrogen, water-soluble monthly
• Growth form: upright growth with cascading foliage
• Growth rate: very slow
• Flowers: very uncommon, but creamy tan sprays
• Pest problems: scales, mealy bugs, stem rot if soil drains poorly
• Propagated: seed

That’s its story. The rest remains to be told as you grow it over the next several decades.

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Suggestion – Buy one of those small transplants like you see in my photo. Pot it up in a clay pot with one of your children or grandchildren and put a label in it with the date that you planted it. They’ll enjoy revisiting their plant as it (and they) grow through the years.
Posted by Neil Sperry
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