Ponytail Palms are popular ornamental plants with a globular crown with long, thin, pendulous, green leaves that emanate from the apex of the trunk. Pruning, cutting or natural breaks near the top of a mature stem will cause the plant to generate mutliple arms. A slow growing tree, the trunk can rise to 22 feet in height and is easily identifiable by its bulbous, rather unique looking saxophone caudex at the base of the trunk where the tree stores water and from which it also derives its other common name, Elephant’s foot.

The Beaucarnea Recurvata is a hardy tree that, other than periodic thinning of older leaves, requires little maintenance. Tolerant of both freezing and desert heat, in partial shade or in full sun, at elevation or near the ocean in virtually any type of soil. Younger specimens make great indoor plants.

Older leaves turn brown and are retained along the trunk, eventually falling off, but more often having to be removed by hand. Be sure to use gloves when removing dead leaves as the margins are quite sharp!