Ponytail palms are a unique-looking, long-lived indoor plant that thrives on benign neglect. They are very easy to grow, provided you don’t overwater them! Here’s how to grow and care for a ponytail palm in your home.
Despite its name and palm-like appearance, the ponytail palm is not a true “palm.” In fact, it is more closely related to desert plants in the Agave and Yucca genera (e.g., Joshua trees).
The typical ponytail palm consists of a large, domed “stump,” which tapers off into a thinner stem. From the top of the stem, one or more rosettes of long, green, leathery leaves develop as the plant ages. Indoors, the leaves can reach up to 3 feet long, but outdoors, they may be double that length.
In its native environment (eastern Mexico), the entire plant has been known to reach up to 30 feet in height! However, ponytail palms that are grown in gardens as landscape plants don’t usually get to be more than 10 feet tall. Indoors, they are rarely taller than 4 feet.
Care of this plant is generally simple; the most common difficulty is having to adapt your watering habits to its watering needs!
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Large Pony Tail "rotting" in base? Falling over
I have had my pony tail plant for 44 years (yes 44!). It has gone from pot to pot but we eventually planted in our backyard (zone 12) about 4 years ago. It loved it, grew about 10 feet more, and survived Irma. All the sudden I noticed it was leaning. I went out and the base is basically rotting away. I'd send a picture but don't see that option. Is there anyway to save it?
Getting another start
Hello! I have a ponytail that has two growing off of the base. The plant itself is at least 6ft min. The starts on the base are at least 2ft. How can I safely remove one to grow another? O read above the cut needs to heal but what does that mean?
Leaves Fell Off
I just lost all the leaves on my ponytail palm. It's been perfectly healthy for the last six months but then all of a sudden the leaves started to fall over. I didn't water it much so I watered it some more hoping to perk it up but that didn't work. I also used some liquid fertilizer but that didn't work either. The trunk is solid. I'm really not sure what do to. Do you have any advice? TIA
Lost Leaves
Could the plant have been hit by a cold draft? Perhaps it’s near a window? Sudden leaf-drop can be caused by cold damage. If that’s not the case, the best you can do is keep it in a warm, partly-sunny place and let the soil dry out as usual. Let the top inch or two of soil dry out before watering again. Without its leaves, the plant can’t get rid of excess water as easily, so be careful not to overwater. Avoid fertilizing until leaves appear again. If the trunk and roots aren’t rotted, then the plant should recover.
Trunk/Base Rot
I had a friend with a large 4 trunk 15' high specimen that was moved to my backyard last year. It was blown over by Irma and we noticed the root zone was very soft and it progressively got worse till the next wind event broke off the trunks from the base. The upper plants are still green and the trunk is firm a foot or so up from where they broke off. Is it possible to stand up and plant these trunks together to save them?
Ponytail Palm Base Rot
Sorry to hear that your ponytail palm didn’t survive the storm. Unfortunately, the bare trunks are very unlikely to grow roots if replanted. However, if the base survived (and is not totally destroyed by rot), then it may produce new growth if replanted in a drier area.
ponytail palm
I have a large 30 year old plant. Height about 8', it also has a few shoots growing lower on the stalk. Question: This past winter in Texas we had some severe cold nights. The tip of my plant fronds fell off. The lower ones had some damage but are surviving. Do I cut back this tall stalk and hope it gets new growth? I worry about cutting 6' off. the stalk is firm and solid. Thanks!
Palm in rocks
Hello-
I am so glad I found this page. I have always wanted a Pony Tail plant and bought one today at Sams Club...it came in a pot with rocks not dirt..and it is pretty much cemented in there....the instructions say to water once its dry an inch or so down....but it is in and cemented in the pot. Also,there is no hole to drain. I am kinda confused how to care for it? Any help would be so appreciated. TY Frankie
Ponytail Palm in Rocks
With the way your plant is currently potted, it sounds like it will be very difficult to know when and how much to water, which will surely end up stressing out both you and the plant. Really, it would be best to repot it entirely. Try carefully removing the rocks to see if there’s any way you could get the plant out of the pot. If it’s cemented to the bottom of the pot, perhaps you could carefully break the pot apart (assuming it’s terracotta). Be careful not to snap the stem of the plant in the process. If you can manage to get the plant out, replant it with a succulent potting mix in a pot with a drainage hole and follow the care instructions outlined above.
If there’s absolutely no way to get the plant out, you could create a makeshift dip-stick to tell you when there’s no water left in the bottom of the pot. Assuming the rocks are fairly loose, take a straw and feed it down to the bottom of the pot, leaving a bit sticking up from the surface. To check the water level, take a piece of string and feed it through the straw to the bottom of the pot. If the string comes out bone-dry, it’s time to water again. Be careful not to water too much at once, as you don’t want the base of the plant to sit in water.
you are awesome
Thank you so much for getting back to me so fast. I appreciate you :)
Ponytail palm
I have a ponytail palm i got from my mother when she passed and i promissed i would take care of it. This plant is 42 years old, everything was going good until i noticed the leaves are turning dark brown at the top where new groth is starting. It is not in direct light cuz there are heater vents by the windows and the plant will dry out so i try to getit as close to light as i ca n until i can turn off the heat.what can i do to save this beutiful plant? Pleas help.
Brown Leaves
Brown leaf tips are fairly normal for an indoor ponytail palm. They can be caused by over- or underwatering, so make sure that you are following the watering tips outlined above. Ponytail palms don’t need much water, especially in the winter, and the soil should dry out almost completely between waterings. Once you’ve ensured that your watering habits are correct, consider the lighting. Dying leaves could also be caused by the lack of light—ponytail palms do need full sun. Setting up a supplementary indoor light using a full spectrum fluorescent or LED bulb may help keep it happy during the winter months.
In any case, ponytail palms are hardy plants, so yours should bounce back when spring comes around and it can get more light.
pony tail palm
can you cut off and plant the side shoots of the parent plant that present on older palms.
what care is needed. section found did little to provide much info on anything other than planting. Found the answer tks a lot
kaye
ponytail palm.
Is it possible to grow this plant by a cutting.
Ponytail palm cuttings
It would be a bad idea to remove the main stem of a ponytail palm, but occasionally, adult plants will produce “babies” or “pups,” which are small offshoots stemming from the base of the plant. These can be removed and grown into new plants with the right care. When they’re at least 4 inches tall, the pups can be cut from the mother plant and replanted. When you make the cut, make sure you use a sterile knife, and dust the pup’s cut wound with rooting hormone if possible. Then, place it in slightly moistened soil (a succulent mix, ideally) and wait. Do not overwater.
White foamy sap oozing from trunk after freeze
I have a ponytail palm that I’ve had for almost 30 years. Got it from my mother. It is in a pot and lives outside. Very unusual but this winter we had several continuous days of below freezing weather. The palm was covered but apparently not good enough. The palm oozed a white foamy sap. The fronds are all brown. It could be my imagination but the stem feels a little soft. The bulb still feels hard and firm. All these years, the ponytail has been so hardy that it is distressing to see its current condition. Is there anything I should do to help it (beyond making sure to bring it inside if it is going to freeze in the future)?
Ponytail Palm Cold Damage
It does sound like your ponytail palm has suffered from a freeze, unfortunately. It’s really a toss up as to whether it will be able to recover or not, but what you can do it to try to keep it in a warmer place for the remainder of the season and be careful not to overwater it. The brown leaves are dead and can be cut off. It’s possible that new leaves will grow in the spring.
Ponytail Palm
Ponytail Palms are quite common and do well outdoors here in southwest Florida. Another common name for Beaucarnea recurvata that I have heard often is Whoville palm because it looks like it came right out of a Dr. Seuss illustration.
How much water do you use when watering the Ponytail Palm?
I know how often to water, but how MUCH water do you use?
How much water
While we can’t give an exact amount because it depends on the size of your pot and the amount of soil in it, the rule of thumb for watering is to “water deeply, but infrequently.” This means that you should water until the water starts to come out of the pot’s drainage holes. If the soil is particularly dry or porous, let the pot sit in any water that comes out of the bottom for a little while so that the soil can soak up the water that went straight through. Once you’ve allowed the pot to sit in the excess water for 10 or so minutes, dump out the dish of excess water.
climate for pony tail plant.
I have 2 pony tail plants and I live in south Mississippi. Would it be wise to plant my plants out side?
Ponytail Palm Outdoors
Ponytail palms require consistently warm temperatures and low moisture. In the US, they can survive outdoors in Zones 9 and warmer, but only where it’s also quite dry, such as in the Southwest. We imagine it would get too humid and wet in Mississippi for a ponytail palm to thrive, so it would probably be best to keep yours potted. Consult a nearby Cooperative Extension service for local advice.
Hi, I have the palm tree for
Hi, I have the palm tree for over 15 years. It's only 30cm high but it looks very fine. I keep it outside from late spring till autumn. I keep it in a small pot (there is space 1inch from the plant bulb to the rim of pot) is that reason that the palm doesn't grow high or might be mini breed? It has only 1 stern
Ponytail Palm Fronds Bleaching
Several of the fronds on my ponytail palm are losing their green color and are splitting. This is an indoor plant, but we are in zone 7b. Not sure if palm is not getting enough light, or if soil currently has too much moisture.
Pale and Split Leaves
Ponytail palms prefer full sun, so loss of color may occur if the plant isn’t getting enough light. To maximize lighting, keep your plant in front of a south-facing window, if possible. Without knowing your watering habits, it’s hard to say whether the plant is getting too much or too little water. Ponytail palms are succulents, so it’s best to err on the side of giving too little water rather than too much. Are you letting at least the top inch or so of soil dry out before watering again? Also note that older leaves may naturally turn brown and dry up as the plant grows, so if you are seeing these issues only on lower leaves, you shouldn’t be concerned.
Spots on trunk
I recently noticed that the trunk has circles on it that are lighter in color. Some are somewhat protruding and looks like more may be developing. Is this an issue?
Can ponytail palm be planted in regular soil?
I have 2 bags of regular soil and a bag of perlite. Can I use these in place of cactus soil? I'd rather not buy another bag of soil to be sitting around my tiny apartment.
Ponytail Palm Soil
Yes, a 1:1 mix of perlite and potting soil can be used as a substitute for succulent mix. Adding a ¼ part of small gravel will also help to improve drainage.
My Ponytail Palm is growing mushrooms!
My young Ponytail Palm has little skinny brown mushrooms growing out of the soil alongside the trunk. How do I deal with this? Thanks!
mushrooms near base of palm
Fungi will grow in areas that are moist or shaded and rich in organic nutrients. Put on some gloves and pull the mushrooms out. Scrape away any remnants with a garden spade. Apply a fungicide, ideally with the active ingredient triadimefon, borate salt or chlorothalonil for best results.
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