He can take direct sun, so you can put him in spots that would be too bright for other plants. He’s not one for shade.
His thick trunk holds a lot of water, so he rarely gets thirsty. Give him a drink only when his soil is fully dry.
He doesn’t need a lot of food. Once in spring and once again in summer will be enough for the year.
BOTANICAL NAME
Beaucarnia recurvata ‘Nolina’
COMMON NAME
Ponytail palm; Elephant’s foot
PLANT TYPE
Evergreen, indoor
PLANT HEIGHT (INCLUDING POT)
30-40cm
PET/BABY SAFE?
Yes
NURSERY POT SIZE
13cm
The ponytail palm may look exotic and showy, but we’re going to let you in on a secret: it’s incredibly easy to look after. It rarely needs water, it can cope with direct sun and it never needs misting. It’s a dream of a plant if you like spectacular looks and minimal effort.
The reason it’s so easy to look after is that it’s not actually a palm. It’s a type of succulent that happens to look like a palm. Succulents store water, because they’re used to dry weather. The ponytail palm stores water in its thick trunk, meaning it can go a really long time without a drink. That’s particularly useful in its native habitat, Mexico, where drought is common. For you, it just means you can be a forgetful waterer without worrying.
It’s used to growing in forests, so it will manage in light shade, but it’s much happier in bright light. It will even take full sun. This is an ideal plant for those spots that others find too hot.
Did you know?
The ponytail palm can live an incredibly long time. There are some in Mexico that are known to be at least 350 years old.
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