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.
About Ponytail Palms
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 (such as 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 get 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. Kept 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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Pony tail palm question
I have one that I have had for about a year now and it's basically just a cluster of pups that were removed from the parent plant. I have never repotted it. It's starting to grow aerial roots and the leaves are turning brown. It doesn't get much natural light, as its currently indoors for the winter. I recently Purchased a small plant light and covered the aerial roots with a bit of potting soil. Now I'm wondering if I've made the right choice?
Ponytail Palm With Aerial Roots
Succulents that put out aerial roots typically do so in search of water, so that—combined with the browning leaves—suggests that your plant is in need of more water. However, if your plant doesn’t get much light this time of year, you do need to be careful not to overwater. What’s your watering schedule currently like? During winter months, water the plant deeply but don’t water again until the soil is almost entirely dry. Once you get the plant back in stronger light, you can increase waterings—still being sure not to water again until the top inch or so of soil is dry.
As for what to do with the aerial roots: You don’t want the plant to be planted deeper than about halfway up its base, so if the soil was already at that level before you added more, it would be better to remove the extra soil and simply snip off the aerial roots with clean scissors. If you do this, don’t water the plant until it looks like its wounds have healed; this will help to prevent fungal disease.
Ponytail palm needs help
It’s 4 years old and in the same pot. When I first got it I was watering it every 2weeks. Then of courses I wasn’t watering like I should and forgot some times. Could not remember when I did so I just gave it water. Today it looks skimpy with brown leaves. The bass where the leaves come out is all brown but some new growth is sprouting out. I not sure what to do should I water it last time was early in the month. I would love to see it thrive. Is it possible to bring it back.
Pony Tail Palm
Try a spray bottle and mist your palm maybe twice a week to keep the trunk from drying out. I keep my spray bottle next to it.
Watering
Dry, browning leaves can indicate a thirsty plant, but it’s also perfectly natural for the older leaves to die off as the plant grows. Yours likely just needs a more regular watering schedule. Water it when the top inch or so of soil has dried out completely—this could be every two weeks, every three weeks, or once a month depending on the humidity of your home, the consistency of the soil, and how porous the pot is.
To keep track of your waterings, try attaching a post-it note to the plant’s pot and writing down the date when you water.
ponytail palm
I have just brought my palm in and my cat is very interested it and tries to eat the leaved. Are they hurt him other than cutting his tongue?
Ponytail Palm Toxicity
Ponytail palms are non-toxic, so your cat will be fine if he ends up chewing on a few leaves. However, it would be best if he didn’t!
ponytail too tall
I have a ponytail that has been in our family for years, probably close to 40. It had not been repotted in years (if ever). We keep it inside in the winter and then put it outside in the summer. Sadly it grew too tall this summer to come back inside! The bulb has had no space in that pot for years so not sure what happened to make it grow so much. What is the true low temp that will kill it? If we plant it in the ground is that better than a pot? We currently stuffed it in at an angle inside but that’s not practical. I’m assuming it can’t be trimmed to cut off the top. Is this plant interesting enough that a botanical garden would want it?
Ponytail Palm Outdoors?
Ponytail palms come from hot, arid climates, so they will only truly thrive outdoors in areas that have similar conditions (USDA Zone 9 and warmer). They can survive brief cold snaps that dip into the 30s, but they don’t tolerate freezes well and likely won’t be happy if kept below 40°F for long. They are also prone to rotting from too much water, so if your winters are wet or snowy, the plant could easily get too wet and rot. Additionally, depending on where you are located, it may be too late in the season to plant it outdoors, as the shock of going from indoor temps to cold outdoor temps could damage it.
Young ponytail palms can be cut back to encourage branching, but I wouldn’t recommend trying that on one as large and as old as yours.
Though these plants aren’t particularly rare, a large specimen would likely be of interest to a botanical garden or university!
Ponytail in Distress
I'm in Saint Pete Beach, FL and have a huge ponytail palm in the ground in front of my home. We bought the house five yrs ago and the tree was already here. It's a double trunk and everyone says it is the biggest ponytail they have ever seen. Approx 25' around at the base and 15-20' tall.
Recently I noticed a larger than usual dropping of dead leaves and now the new leaves are yellowing much too quickly. One or two leaf clusters have actually caved in. We've had above average rainfall this year but drainage is good and the Royal Palm and Queen Sago in the same area are doing fine. I suspect it might be too wet . Any thoughts on what might be causing the problem and what to do about it?
Thanks for your input.
Outdoor Ponytail Palm Problems
Boy, that’s a big one alright!
It sounds like your analysis could be correct: the plant is likely getting too much water and its roots may be rotting. Unfortunately, with a plant so huge, there’s not a whole lot that you can do, aside from hoping for drier weather.
To confirm your theory, take a look around the base of the plant, poking gently with your foot to see if you can find any obvious soft spots. These would be a sign of rot and too much water in the soil. If you can’t see anything aboveground, gently dig down (no deeper than 1ft) around the base of the plant in a few different spots to see if you can find any rot belowground. If you can’t find any signs of rot there either, the problem is probably deep within the roots of the plant.
There’s not much you can do for the plant at this point, unfortunately, but ponytail palms are fairly hardy. If it gets a chance to dry out, the plant should recover!
Hello, my ponytail plant is
Hello, my ponytail plant is about 8 years old, I have repotted once. It's about 4 ft tall and has new stems coming from the top most of the time. The older leaves are bent and come all the way to the floor. Can I trim those leaves to give it a more upward poofy look on top? They do not have brown tips, they just drag the ground and are droopy. Thanks.
Trimming Leaves
Yes, you can trim the lower leaves back! As long as you let the new growth grow unimpeded, the plant will be fine.
Do I need to repot?
I have had my pony tail for ~ 44 years. It stands ~ 6.6' high. It has been in a 22" diameter X 16" tall pot for ~ 10 years. The bulb of the plant is ~ 17" in diameter (~ 2.5" from the edge of its pot). The tips of the lower palms have begun turning yellow, then brown and traveling up the palm until I have to remove them. The plant is still putting new palms out of the top of the plant. I water it ~ once every 2 weeks with about 1 qt of water. What can I do to stop the lower palms from dying? Does it need to be re-potted (would take a crane and a team to do so!)? If so, how much larger pot does it need? If not re-potted, how do I adjust its water (have watered it the same since 1974!)? This is an heirloom plant my mother gave me in 1974; it has been "babysat" by family as I was stationed overseas. My daughter has her heart set on inheriting it some day....
Dropping Leaves
Wow! That’s quite an old tree! Congrats on keeping it happy for so long.
Lower leaves turning brown is not usually a cause for concern—especially if the plant is continually putting out new leaves—as that’s just part of the natural growth cycle of the plant: grow new leaves, drop old ones. But, if this is the first time you’re seeing it happen after having the plant for so long, there may be outside factors in play.
Have you changed your source of water in the past year or so? Desert plants can be especially sensitive to chemicals in tap water (such as fluoride), which can cause the tips of leaves to turn yellow and brown. Try watering with distilled or spring water for the next few months and see if that solves the issue.
Browning tips may also be caused by too much intense sunlight. But again, if the plant is still regularly putting out new growth, it seems like it’s happy where it is.
The pot size is likely not an issue, as ponytail palms don’t mind being constricted. Moving it to a larger pot will only encourage it to get even bigger (and more unmanageable)! The amount of water is also not likely a problem, as long as you are letting the soil dry out properly between waterings.
Pony Tail Palm
My Pony Tail Palm is 42 year old and thriving. I just re-potted it and brought it in for the winter. It has five babies on it also. To help it from drying out while inside, I mist the top of it and sometime down the trunk to keep it supple. Also, I don't pull off the dried palms when inside the house as that causes the top to dry out faster. Good luck!
BLOOMS
One of my pony tails bloomed this summer. I have never experienced this. What do I do?
Bloom
The short answer: Nothing!
Blooming is normal for mature ponytail palms, and the flowers are a treat for pollinators. Assuming you can reach the top of your ponytail palm, simply snip off the flower spike once it has faded. That’s it!
Ponytail palm from Sams
I just bought 2 ponytail palms that were already potted from Sam’s. The planted palms have smalls stones on top of the soil and the stones seemed to be glued together. How in the world can I water them? Or is this something new for the top of a plant? By the way, they came from Costo Farms.
Ponytail Palm
This is a common (and, quite frankly, dumb) practice done by some stores. Here’s our response to a previous comment regarding a ponytail palm bought from Sam’s:
“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.”
Ponytail palm from Sam’s
I bought my Poynytail Palm 4-5 years ago from Sam’s with pebbles glued on top. The directions said to give it 8 oz of water once a week. I left the pebbles on it and followed the watering directions. Benign neglect has worked wonders! I bought a bag of cacti/succulent potting soil this week, as the palm has “sunk” in the pot to reveal about 1.5 inches or more of the trunk. I’m a little reluctant to mess with success but I think it is time to freshen it up. Wish me luck! Lol
The top of my plant came out?
hi I was given a small ponytail plant, I have had it since Christmas, I do have some brown leaves, but the bright green part just fell out of the top. The bulb of the plant is soft at the top but I only watered it twice? Can i save my plant. Thank you, Melinda Wharton
Indoor/outdoor
I live in Western Oregon, and I have a three year old pony tail that’s at least 3ft tall. I’ve had it indoors in a great big beautiful south facing window. I’ve just recently moved and have this huge covered porch, with two skylights. Can I bring my pony tail palm outside for the summer, and back indoors as winter gets near? Thanks!
Outdoor Ponytail Palm
Yes, you can put your ponytail palm on the porch for the summer—it should enjoy the extra sunlight. However, when you first put it outside, you should keep it in partial shade for about a week before moving it into full sun. Direct sunlight right away would be a shock.
You’ll also want to keep an eye out for pests when you bring the plant back inside. Do a close inspection for scale especially. Bring the plant in when nighttime temps get down to the high 50s consistently.
Pony tail palm uprooted!
I moved a 10 year old plant outside in Central Florida in a fairly wet spot. Surprisingly it grew to about 20 feet then was blown over last year in a hurricane. It was not totally blown out of the ground so it was propped back up and continued to grow but not well. We cut it back about 10 feet hoping it would sprout. No luck after several weeks so we pulled it out and set it by the trash. Yesterday I noticed three sprouts near the top of the trunk!! I guess it wants to live. We pulled it into the sun and set it on rocky sandy soil. Now what?? Cut it back more? Plant the roots again? The root/base it heavy and solid.
Ponytail Palm very tall and old (houseplant)
I have a ponytail palm a friend gave me about 35 years ago. I love it and at this time I don't want to lose it. It is about 6' tall. IF I wanted to cut it off would new starts come on? Should I leave it alone, I don't want to lose it, just afraid it is going to fall over or not get enough nourishment being that tall. I was given another one recently that has three individual starts shooting off where it had evidently been cut off. It is beautiful.
Ponytail getting old?
I have a ponytail palm for almost 35 years. I repot it no so often due to the large dimensions. The last 6 -7 years do not grow well. New leaves are constantly rotting before they grow and spread and have fallen over 50 percent in last years. It has multiple branches that go better. I have not changed anything about grooming, fertilizing and its position. At the last pot change (2 years ago) the roots were reduced and concentrated in the upper part of the pot. I do not want to lose it. Any suggestion?
Old Ponytail Palm
This is a tough question because it sounds like you haven’t done anything differently that would cause your plant to have problems!
There are reports of 350-year-old ponytail palms in Mexico, so we doubt your plant’s issues have anything to do with age. Perhaps the plant needs more light? They are a desert plant, so they grow best when given full sun all day long. Try moving it to a sunnier spot, if possible.
Check your fertilizer, too, to make sure that it is an all-purpose formula and that you are not fertilizing the plant too much or too little. Additionally, you may want to check the pH of the soil. If it is too acidic or basic, the plant will not grow well.
Finally, make sure that you are not over watering. Rotting leaves can mean that the plant is getting too much water. Let the top inch or two of soil dry out between waterings.
Hopefully, one of these changes will be successful for you and your ponytail palm. Good luck!
OLD PONYTAIL PALM
Thank you very much for your help. I reduced watering and moved the plant in a sunnier position that receives more light all day long as you advised. I waited more than 2 months to see if it would go better. The results: top shoots of the main trunk keep rotting. The lateral shoots that start from the base were clearly improved. Your help was great, the problem was not solved 100% though. Thank you again for your help. I hope I can keep my plant alive.
Ponytail plant
I just acquired this plant. It has been in an office setting until now. It has foam under it. I'm sure to hold the moisture while it was there. Now how should I care for it. I live in zone 7 so winter may be too cold for it outside.
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