| Description | Pony Tail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) is a very easy-to-grow "weird but lovable" plant. Forms a large caudex or swollen stem at it's base. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (boe-KAR-nee-uh)(reck-er-VAY-tuh) |
| Plant Type | Succulents, Perennial Tender, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 9-10, Sunset 13,16-24 |
| Sunlight | bright to direct |
| Moisture | This plant is drought-tolerant, but doesn't mind a little more water if the media is well-drained. Let it dry out between waterings. |
| Soil & Site | well drained |
| Growing Media | well drained to average house |
| Temperature | average house to warm |
| Flowers | white |
| Fruit | Reddish winged fruit with 2-3 seeds. |
| Leaves | Strap-like leaves on top of the extended portion of the caudex |
| Stems | Juvenile plants have a single stem with a bulbous base that begins thickening early in the seedling stage, soon forming a neat, firm, rounded caudex. Additionally, small plants are pulled underground by contractile roots.. As the plants matures, it will create a swollen base called a caudex. |
| Roots | It has both fibrous roots and contractile roots. |
| Dimensions | Can become tree size (over 18' tall) but usually much smaller when grown in a container. |
| Maintenance | Removal of dead leaves, browning, and loss of lower leaves seems to be a natural process. |
| Propagation | seeds and division of offsets |
| Native Site | Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and San Luis Potosí in south-eastern Mexico. |
| Misc Facts | Often used as a caudiciform shrub or tree. |
| Author's Notes | I have found this plant very easy to grow. If it gets too dry, the edges of the leaves will turn crispy brown, but the plant won't die. The swollen stem is called a caudex. When this gets larger, it looks like an elephant's foot. |
| Notes & Reference | #274-Site Authors' observations and growing experiences of different Pony Tail Palms, #288-The Encyclopedia of Succulents (https://llifle.com/Encyclopedia/Succulents) |
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