Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)isn’t really a palm but rather a part of the agave succulent family. It’s a very unusual-looking plant, using a swollen base and a mop of long, flat leaves. Ponytails are easy to care for and drought tolerant, and they create an exotic addition to the house. The only disadvantage is that this houseplant is a very slow grower, but that’s not such a bad thing to get a plant using all the nickname elephant’s foot.
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Ponytail palms make excellent container plants and adapt well to air conditioning and heatingsystem, which may be detrimental to many houseplants. The huge base will need a suitably large kettle, and since the plant gradually matures, the back will get thicker and the bottom will swell.
A desert indigenous, it prefers very bright light with some sunlight.
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The most serious threat for the plant is overwatering or flooding, which may cause root rot and bacterial or fungal infections. Never allow water to sit in the bottom of the saucer or pot, and if in doubt, do not water. Dry and brown leaves that are lower, a shriveled stem and desiccated follicles are usually signs of underwatering.
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Potted ponytails may be used outdoors but may get damaged in high winds. In areas prone to freeze, ponytails are best kept indoors in a container and moved outside only after the final freeze.
Pests and diseases. Ponytails are very resistant to pests and disease, though plants in containers indoors are generally susceptible to spider mites, mealybugs and scale. Symptoms range from mottled yellow discoloration on the undersides of leaves to a sticky honeydew substance and yellowed leaves, in addition to visibly raised spots. Remedies include washing the leaves or with the insecticidal soap or plant oil extract. If spider mites occur on the leaves, rub on a cloth soaked with soap and water onto the leaves.
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When grown outside, ponytails can reach 16 feet or longer. As indoor potted plants, they are inclined to average 6 to 8 feet.
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Even though a ponytail palm needs bright light, it’ll be OK with having bright light about half the time. For example, if you maintain your plant in comparatively low-light conditions in the winter and provide bright-light conditions in spring and summer, it will be perfectly happy.
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How to look after ponytail palms:
Temperature: Regular room temperature is good for the majority of the year, however, ponytail palm prefers cooler temperatures in the winter (50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit).
Lighting: Provide bright indirect lighting to full sun. Any window space indoors, especially among facing north, is suitable. For optimum functionality full sun is best.
Watering: Moderate to low water. Water thoroughly once every two to three weeks, based on if it receives full sun. Keep the soil rather dry. Water from spring through fall, allowing the soil to dry on the surface before rewatering. Throughout the winter water only very occasionally (possibly only 1 time the whole winter) to maintain the foliage from wilting. Make sure you allow the soil become dry to the touch 1 to 2 inches deep before watering .
Soil: Utilize a fast-draining soil, for example cactus potting soil. A sandy-mix soil usually minimizes the likelihood of root rot.
Feeding: Fertilize each month in the growing season, or as infrequently as two to three times per year. Overfertilizing can cause brownish tips on the leaves.
Repotting: Since ponytail palm requires dry soil, it’s best to allow it to become root bound before repotting. When repotting is absolutely essential, use a pot that’s only an inch or two wider than the previous pot. Repotting to a huge pot ends in the plant unexpectedly getting too much water at the same time, which may harm growth and health, and of course cause root rot.
Resource: Mexican desert, Belize and Guatemala. In its native habitat, flowers appear on big older trees in vertical clusters in the spring and summertime.
Toxicity: Nontoxic.
Caution: The leaves have serrated edges which may be abrasive.