Ponytail Palm
4.7 out of 5 (193 experiences)
Survivor
Fast grower
About Ponytail Palm
Ponytail palm is not a true palm, but a plant with a thick swollen stem (caudex) that stores water and narrow dark green strappy leaves that gently curl toward the ends. It needs bright light and regular watering. They prefer dry winters and do well even with indoor heated air.
Taxonomy
Beaucarnea recurvata
Beaucarnea
Asparagaceae
Asparagales
Also known as
Nolina recurvata, Elephant Foot Tree and Bottle Palm Tree
How to care for Ponytail Palm
How often to water your Ponytail Palm
every 12
Ponytail Palm needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
12
Finding light for Ponytail Palm in your home
a window
Ponytail Palm may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.
Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Ponytail Palm in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Ponytail Palm
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Ponytail Palm after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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Wonder if this little one is getting too much light, or I’m waiting too long in between waterings? Yellow leaf tips #PonytailPalm
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Just got this & I'm not sure what size pot to put it in. Any ideas??
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My Ponytail Palm lost all its leaves! I think it was getting too much water because we’re getting almost daily rain here in Florida now. I repotted it (from a 2” nursery pot to a 4” terracotta pot) and started bringing it inside during rain. I haven’t watered it for over a week now. I also have been putting it under a grow light (not directly under it) for a few hours a day. Is there anything else/different that I should be doing to help save my plant? I really wanted this plant and don’t want to lose it! Thanks in advance for any help and advice y’all can give me. 💚
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Pony tailed palm rotting? Iv had my pony tailed palm for a few years now it’s always had brown tips now I cut them off around the growing period but now it’s leaning and the leaves are turning brown from the inside. Im very worried someone please help!
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My ends of leaves are turning brown why? #PonytailPalm
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I repotted my ponytail plant recently into a bigger pot. I did use a variety of mediums when I repotted it, and now it looks like its dying! I don't know if I should wait it out or put it back in its original pot with just some succulent mix? HELP! #PonytailPalm
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Every single tip on my ponytail is brown. I’m going to re-part today and to better draining soil, but I’m curious is there anyway to fix this? Can I trim off the browns without it growing back brown or am I just doomed to have it look like this forever? #PonytailPalm
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The plant that started it all 5 years ago. Happy Birthday!!!
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I’ve had this ponytail for about a week. The tips are turning brown. #PonytailPalm
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saved ponytail palm from being completely naked on a friends balcony, now it’s sprouting from the base no new growth on the top and i’m slowly removing all the dead leaves to hopefully allow it more energy to grow more (also considering sawing off the top to allow it to start fresh), but i checked it today and noticed it’s sprouting a new node from the caudex. should i leave it be, or try to propagate?
Care Summary for Ponytail Palm
Ponytail Palm
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 12 days
Placement
< 3ft from a window
Nutrients
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Survivor 112
Fast grower 43
Large, lush leaves 40
Browns easily 24
Easy to propagate 13
Blooms easily 10
Pest magnet 2
03/31/2022
Slowwwwww grower. Can live up to 100 years old
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
03/07/2022
Low maintenance and gorgeous!
03/07/2022
Low maintenance and gorgeous!
02/23/2022
My cat loves to eat the leaves on this ponytail plant, also after moving it from direct sunlight to indirect sunlight it grew back much faster
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
02/04/2022
Thought it was a weird looking plant at first but now one of my favorites! Long tendrils of leaves, likes sun ☀️, stores a lot of its own water 💦. What’s not to love! 🪴 💚
Fast grower
Survivor
01/18/2022
I bought lots of plant when I decided to decorate my house and I realised that I am a plant killer 😱😱😱 Not many of them survived and Pony tail palm is one of them!!
Don’t need to care much, and it looks great!!!
Very slow grower!
Survivor
01/14/2022
Easy care plant, doesn’t need much care at all. Love how cute and tropical he looks!
Survivor
01/08/2022
I’m not sure
12/30/2021
Beautiful easy care palm
12/12/2021
I just love how easy it is to take care of this plant
Survivor
Easy to propagate
Fast grower
11/24/2021
Great!
Fast grower
Blooms easily
Easy to propagate
Survivor
11/23/2021
You can really just let it chill and if the leaves get a little crispy, snip them off. It’s so cute!
Fast grower
Survivor
Browns easily
11/08/2021
I don't know what I'm doing wrong but the ends of my ponytail palm are brown and I'm wondering what I need to do to make it not be brown? are they supposed to be brown?
Browns easily
11/02/2021
This plant is perfect for people like me who forget to water all the time.
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
11/01/2021
Easy to care for and doesn’t mind neglect.
Fast grower
Survivor
10/18/2021
Conversation starter
Survivor
10/10/2021
Let soil dry out before watering.
Survivor
10/04/2021
Low maintenance. Seems to be always happy!
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
10/04/2021
Resilient
Survivor
09/28/2021
Slow growing
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