Elephant-foot Tree Beaucarnea recurvata
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- bew-KAIR-nee-uh ree-ker-VAY-tuh
- Description
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Ponytail palm is an evergreen perennial in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). It is native to Mexico and is commonly grown as a houseplant. It grows in rocky, poor soils in low deciduous forests.
It is slow growing, drought tolerant and hardy to 50 degrees F. In its native habitat, it can grow 30 feet tall but in a pot it will grow 6 to 8 feet tall. Plant in well-drained soils such as those for cactus and succulents and provide a sunny window. Ponytail palm prefers dry winters and does well even with indoor heated air, which makes many houseplants suffer. Plants can be moved outdoors to a protected patio with gradual adjustments to the temperature. In summer, water deeply but allow plants to dry out between waterings. Greatly reduce water in the winter.
Even though it is called ponytail palm, it is not a true palm, it has a thick swollen stem (caudex) that stores water and narrow dark green strappy leaves that gently curl toward the ends. The plant almost looks like a plume from a water fountain. It rarely blooms as a houseplant. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
In tropical areas, it can be planted outdoors. In temperate areas, it will need to be grown in a pot and brought indoors for winter.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems though houseplants may experience damage from mealybug, scales, and spider mites. Diseases include stem rot, bacterial leaf streaks, and leaf spots.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Beaucarnea
- Species:
- recurvata
- Family:
- Asparagaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Mexico (Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis PotosÃ, Tamaulipas, Veracruz)
- Dimensions:
- Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Houseplant
- Perennial
- Tree
- Habit/Form:
- Cascading
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- 6-feet-12 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Description:
- Seasonal bloomer creamy white flowers in clusters but rarely appear on houseplants.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Rosulate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Strappy palm-like leaves 6' long but only 1" wide that cascade
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Houseplants
- Patio
- Design Feature:
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought