General description: The Ponytail palm is a perfect indoor palm tree with a gray, inflated trunk and long, grass-like, arching and drooping green leaves that hang down like a pony tail (hence it gets its name).

It is also caled the Elephant Foot palm because its large, swollen, bulblike base sometimes appearing as an elephant’s foot.

The Ponytail palm is not really a palm tree, but a flowering plant of the genus Beaucamea. It is closely related to Yuccas. Beaucamea Recurvata is one of the easiest indoor palm trees to grow.

In its natural habitat the Ponytail palm grows up to 30 feet tall, as a house plant it doesn’t grow over 2-7 feet.

Scientific name: Beaucamea Recurvata

Family: Ruscaceae

Genus: Beaucamea

Origin: Southeastern Mexico

Other names: Elephant Foot Palm

Growth rate: Slow growing plant. It takes 10 years to reach a height of 4-7 feet.

Maintenance: Low

Light requirements: It should receive as much light as possible when grown inside.

Water requirements: It is highly drought tolerant, can survive without water for about a month. The swollen base is a water storage. Water it deeply and infrequently. Don’t underwater it, the lower leaves turn brown. Don’t overwater it either, it can kill your plant.

Humidity: Low to moderate. Mist the leaves to keep them green and healthy.

Soil Conditions: Sandy, well drained soils (a mixture of soil, sand, loam and moss).

Fertilization: Fertilize once during the growing season in the early spring with a houseplant fertilizer.

Pests and diseases: Spider mites

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