Casually graze lists of houseplants that arenearly impossible to kill , and you ’ll in all probability find the ponytail palm next to your hardy pothos and philodendron plant life . sport arching leaves and an onion - like root , the ponytail decoration ( Beaucarnea recurvata ) is a plant that ’s as easy to find as it is to maintain . If you come across the ponytail medallion at a foodstuff store or nursery , there ’s no need to recall twice about picking it up . Adding this low - maintenance plant to your houseplant aggregation is a great way to liven up up practically any way . If you require to start growing a ponytail palm , just follow this simple ponytail palm charge templet !
What is the ponytail palm?
Also known as an elephant foot tree or bottle palm , the ponytail palm have a slurred body with curled , grass - like leaves project from the top . If you desire something modest care , we ’ve make good news : the ponytail palm is actually an easy - care succulent , not a veridical ( and finicky ) palm — it is , in fact , native to semi - desert domain of southeast Mexico . Still , you’llget tropical vibeswithout take to institutionalize too much space or vim toward right maintenance .
As a houseplant , the works remain comparatively pocket-sized and can be find in four- to six - column inch greenhouse pots because it does n’t grow fast — you might come in across indoor varieties that grow anywhere between one to six feet marvellous . That said , an older ponytail ribbon can grow up to 30 feet marvelous and nine to 12 feet wide in its rude habitat . Feathery , downy flowers sometimes acquire on ponytail palms , but they are rare in houseplant .
How do you care for a ponytail palm?
Light, temperature, and humidity
When it comes to its surrounding surround , the ponytail palm appreciates a bright , warm surround . If you ’re keeping a ponytail palm as an indoor plant , supply it with as much illumination as possible by leave it next to a south - facing window . Outdoors , this vulgar works can thrive in full Lord’s Day . It ’s commonly hardy in zones 9 through 12 , prefer temperatures above 50 ° F . There ’s no need to cloud it or use a humidifier next to it , as it can stick out low humidity .
Watering
When it comes to lachrymation , this financial statement flora does n’t require all that much water and can tolerate a bout of neglect . Its thick , bulb - like foundation really stores water . When you irrigate a ponytail plant , irrigate it good and wait for the soil to dry before you water it again . Excess ground moisture can cause etymon decomposition , so you desire to be prudent about watering , especially if you keep your plant indoors .
Whileit is drought tolerant , the ponytail medal can experience browning tips if you let it dry out out for too long . If you notice browning tips and dry soil , cut off the crispy flake and give your works a proficient drink of water . dark-brown tips may also be due to too much plant food or voiceless urine . you may try thoroughly washing the soil if you suspect the former and using permeate water to address the latter .
Soil needs
You desire to give your ponytail palm flora relatively fast - draining soil , such as a cactus pot mix with sand and perlite . You wo n’t really need to fortify your soil all that much . The ponytail ribbon plant is n’t a heavy feeder , so you’re able to simply apply a slow - release fertilizer to give it nutrients during the growing season . You also do n’t require to repot it often . A once - a - year repotting is distinctive , but you could put off repotting to an every three - year cadence if you ’re okay with a smaller plant .
Pest control
The ponytail palm is relatively resilient to pest issues , but you may have a bug government issue or two . One usual problemis fungus gnats . These flying critters are typically harmless but pesky ; still , they can feed on the roots and do problems . Fungus gnats are usually drawn to overwatered soil with fungi and organic subject , so start treating your plant by cut back on watering . you could use a yellow sticky snare or vinegar solution to reduce an infestation . Other potential pests include scale and mealybugs , which may be treat with scratch alcohol or neem vegetable oil . ( Check out this guide on pest control for the well solution . )
How do you propagate a ponytail palm?
It ’s really easiest to bribe a new ponytail palm tree industrial plant instead of propagate one , but that does n’t mean it ’s impossible to grow one yourself . you’re able to normally broadcast a ponytail palm by have an offshoot from the side and potting it up . The tricky part is that the offshoots have very shallow roots , if any , so you may need to supplement them with root hormone .
you’re able to also grow a new ponytail palm tree by seed , but it ’ll take a while to see any results because this works is a slow grower . Since indoor plants rarely flower , you may discover it difficult to pimp ponytail ribbon seeds .
Are ponytail palms safe for pets?
Ponytail palms are considered safe and nontoxic for pets and people . This is groovy word if you have pet that enjoy chewing on leave of absence , although your ponytail medal might not be exhilarate about it . The long , dangling leave are especially attractive to cats , who might enjoy playing with them like they would thread or ribbons . Your ponytail palm is hardy enough to resist some of this , but if you ’re interested that your ducky might do too much legal injury , you should take dance step to keep your ponytail palm out of reach .
While a ponytail palm tree is n’t completely killproof by sexual morality of being a sustenance organism , it ’s a pretty sturdy houseplant . Great for beginners , it support drought and scarce ever falls prey to pest . Give it sizeable sun and the occasional repotting , and you ’ll find that the ponytail palm plant will stay on lush and fab .
