Find out how to grow Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) in your indoor garden. This eye-catching succulent is easy to grow as a houseplant if you know what to do. Discover the plant’s lighting, watering and fertilizing needs, and more. See care time stamps below.
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Today, we have a plant care video for the ponytail palm. It is called ponytail palm, but it isn’t actually a palm. The botanical name of this plant is Beaucarnea recurvata, and it is a slow-growing tropical succulent tree with a swollen trunk known as a caudex, and that stores water. So, this swollen trunk right here that you can see, that’s the caudex, and that’s where the plant stores water. Because it is a drought-tolerant plant, it’s called the ponytail palm because it does have a palm-like growth habit, it does have palm-like leaves, and the leaves kind of look like if they have—you had put a band in, and you have your ponytail on top of your head—so that’s why it is called the ponytail palm, even though it isn’t really a palm.
Other common names for this plant are the bottleneck tree and the elephant’s foot tree, but more commonly, it’s called the ponytail palm. The ponytail palm is native to areas of Central America, where it can grow up to 15 feet outdoors. Indoors, the plant generally only reaches three to four feet tall, but give it good conditions, which I’m going to tell you all about how to care for this plant in this video, and you can have decades of growth, and it’s possible to grow quite a bit larger even than that three to four feet tall.
I really love the architectural look of this plant. Besides the caudex, which is really cool, just the updo on this plant, the ponytail of the plant, and it’s—it is an unusual plant. It is something that your eye does fall to when you walk into an indoor garden.
Um, as mentioned, the caudex is where the plant stores water. That makes the plant drought-tolerant, which means it can go for long periods of time between watering.
And despite, as mentioned, it being a pretty common houseplant, it’s actually been listed as endangered for risk of extinction in its native habitat in Central America. So, if you do have one of these plants, take really good care of it because who knows what will happen with the ones in their native habitat? So, we want to preserve as many of them as we can.
This plant also produces in its native habitat flowers. However, it’s probably not going to do that for you in your indoor garden. And actually, the flowers produce seed, and that’s how this plant propagates itself and is propagated. Um, and the flowers do need to get pollinated as well for that to happen.
Okay, so how to keep this beauty really help the really happy in your indoor garden?
Well, first of all, lighting. Ponytail palm, like most houseplants, wants as much light as you can give it indoors. However, it does a pretty good job of tolerating lower light levels as well. So, you—it—you can go with this plant medium to brighter light, and it will do well for you. You want to keep it three or three feet or so, three or four feet or so away from unobstructed south, east, or west-facing windows. So, you’re giving it a bright light with those windows. You could put it right up near a northern window and see if it gets enough light. They also do really well with Full Spectrum Lighting. They actually love Full Spectrum Lighting, so artificial Full Spectrum Lighting. So, that is also an option if you don’t have really good light otherwise in your indoor garden.
Okay, so watering ponytail palm. As I mentioned, it is drought-tolerant. It can go long periods in between watering if it has to. However, it’s best to water your ponytail palm as the top—when the top half or so of the potting mix dries out. So, use a moisture meter to determine this and water when the first half reaches three or two on the moisture meter.
How much, how often you’re going to water will depend on your growing conditions indoors. It’s going to depend on your climate too, as well. If you’re in a drier, more arid climate, it’s going to dry out a lot more quickly than if you’re in a moist, humid climate. Also, time of year is going to make a difference too. Wintertime, when plants are drinking a lot less, it’s going to dry out a lot less quickly as well. If you are unsure about watering your ponytail palm, it’s better to not water it. If you’re still not sure, don’t water it. You’re much better off not overwatering the plant because they will succumb to root rot. That caudex will rot if you—if you water these plants too much, and that’s obviously something you don’t want to do.
So, fertilizing. You can fertilize ponytail palm as often as once or twice a year. You don’t need to fertilize these guys a lot then, which this is usually the case with a succulent type of plant because as they store water, they also store nutrients. That’s the way they are designed so that they can live outdoors in their natural habitats. So, fertilize with an organic liquid fertilizer once in Spring and once in fall. You could, if you’d like to do it three times, that would be fine too if you’re finding the leaves are not as green as they used to be. That could be a sign of low nitrogen, so you could fertilize in the spring, summer, and fall, which would be perfectly fine as well.
Okay, so pests on these beauties. Ponytail palm, like most houseplants, can get some pests. The ones that you’re going to find more often than other types of pests on this plant: mealybug, scale insects, and spider mites. Spider mites can be a problem in particular because they like dry conditions. These scale and mealybugs like a little more on the moisture side, but the spider mites like it dry. And the spider mites, obviously, you’re not going to be keeping this plant real moist because it is a succulent. So, the spider mites, if you get them, you’re—you’re going to have to to to deal with them as you would have to with the other. So, scale insects and mealybugs and spider mites can all be treated with neem oil.
And also, one thing you can do, which is not going to harm the plant at all, is to mist this plant on a regular basis if you do find that you’re having some spider mite problems because spider mites, as mentioned, like it dry, and the misting will repel them. So, that would be once you treat for spider mite several times with the neem oil.
Root rot, as I mentioned, is also common in this plant because of overwatering. So, a very simple solution to not get root rot is to not overwater the ponytail palm.
Humidity. I—I mentioned, so it—it does well with average humidity and any—and as mentioned, it can tolerate low humidity. So, we’re talking like 30 percent humidity to 30 to 40, 45 humidity, it’s really going to do really well. Now, if you get up into 50, 60, 70 percent humidity, that’s pretty moist. That’s when you’re really going to have to make sure that you’re not overwatering the plant because the humidity along with too much water, that’s where where root rot really really comes into play.
So, um, that being said, really no need unless you have the issue of the spider mites like I mentioned to need to mist or provide extra humidity for this plant because they—they don’t need it.
Temperature wise, they do best from 65 to 80 degrees, so that’s a pretty wide range that you’ll find in most homes. They can even go a little bit hotter than that. When they get much colder than 65, 60, 55, they’re—they’re not going to be real happy campers because they aren’t used to that cold of temperatures. But most homes, as mentioned, you can—you can get that 65 to 80 degrees generally speaking most of the year.
So, when to repot this plant. This plant doesn’t need repotting that often. It um—when you do repot it, so it could be every two, three, four years even that you would need to repot this plant. When you do repot it, you want to to make sure that you follow what I always talk about, the the right—the correct ratio for the plant pot combination. So, at the repotting point for this plant would be when the plant has surpassed the two-third plant on top to one-third pot below. So, where the plant you’ve got more like a three-quarter plant on top and a quarter pot below.
And at that point, then it’s time to go up to one pot size up, not a whole bunch of pot sizes up, but one pot size up. So, a little bit pot—a little bit bigger pot size up at that point. You want to repot in spring or early summer.
And the ponytail palm does best in well-drained soil, as mentioned. So, I already mentioned it does well inside in bright and light, but in well-drained soil.
So, a cactus mixes are okay, but make sure that they aren’t too barky. I do have a video on how to make a succulent mix, which this plant does really well in, so I’ll put a link below for that. And so, even if you have regular potting soil, make sure to add in extra pumice or extra perlite to get more drainage. Also, small gravel can give more drainage as well to the soil for the plant. So, we’re really wanting to mimic that more the succulent like growing conditions for the plant.
So, pruning of ponytail palm doesn’t really require much pruning. You just need to remove the spent leaves when they turn yellow and begin to brown, and they will do that. It’s normal to have browning leaves falling off on a regular basis, just not a lot of them, but occasionally a few here and there, that’s normal for any plant to do. You just remove the spent leaves when they turn yellow and brown, and which is a good thing too to do because you don’t—they spent leaves will attract pests and pests, and you don’t want to do that obviously.
So, as I mentioned, how some leaf loss is normal, but if you’re starting to have lots of least loss, I would look at potentially the fact that you are over or even underwatering your plant. So, we’ll look at watering first and also look for pests if you’re getting a lot of leaf loss because pests will cause leaves to fall as well.
So, there you go for how to keep this gorgeous ponytail palm happy and healthy in your indoor garden.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Ponytail Palms
What is a ponytail palm?
Despite its name, the ponytail palm (*Beaucarnea recurvata*) isn’t a true palm. It’s a slow-growing tropical succulent tree with a swollen trunk (caudex) that stores water.
What are some other common names for the ponytail palm?
Besides ponytail palm, it’s also known as the bottleneck tree and the elephant’s foot tree.
How much light does a ponytail palm need?
Ponytail palms prefer bright light indoors, such as from south, east, or west-facing windows (positioned a few feet away). They can also tolerate medium light and thrive under artificial full-spectrum lighting.
How often should I water my ponytail palm?
Water your ponytail palm when the top half of the potting mix has dried out. Use a moisture meter to check, watering when it reads between 2 and 3. Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot.
How often should I fertilize my ponytail palm?
Ponytail palms don’t need much fertilizer. Fertilize once in the spring and once in the fall with an organic liquid fertilizer. You can fertilize three times a year (spring, summer, fall) if the leaves appear less green.
What are common pests for ponytail palms?
Common pests include mealybugs, scale insects, and spider mites. Spider mites are more common in dry conditions. All these pests can be treated with neem oil. Misting the plant regularly can help repel spider mites.
What is root rot and how can I prevent it?
Root rot is a common issue caused by overwatering. To prevent it, ensure you allow the top half of the soil to dry out before watering again.
What is the ideal humidity for a ponytail palm?
Ponytail palms do well in average to low humidity (30-45%). High humidity combined with overwatering can increase the risk of root rot. Extra misting for humidity is generally not needed unless you are dealing with spider mites.
What is the ideal temperature for a ponytail palm?
Ponytail palms thrive in temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They can tolerate slightly warmer temperatures but don’t do well in temperatures below 65°F.
When should I repot my ponytail palm?
Ponytail palms don’t need frequent repotting, typically every 2-4 years. Repot when the plant’s size is about three-quarters the size of the pot. Move to a pot only one size larger in the spring or early summer.
What type of soil is best for a ponytail palm?
Ponytail palms need well-drained soil. Cactus mixes are suitable, but avoid those that are too barky. Adding pumice or perlite to regular potting soil can improve drainage. Small gravel can also be added.
Does a ponytail palm need pruning?
Ponytail palms require minimal pruning. Simply remove spent leaves that have turned yellow or brown. This also helps prevent pests.
Is some leaf loss normal for a ponytail palm?
Yes, occasional browning and dropping of a few leaves is normal. However, significant leaf loss could indicate overwatering, underwatering, or a pest infestation.
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