 Ponytail palm or Beaucarnea recurvata
Family - Agavaceae
I don't like it when people call it an "Elephant's foot", it ruins all the
elegance of this graceful plant. I think it looks more like a beautiful ballet
dancer. From my experience, Beaucarnea is one of the easiest plants to grow. It
will survive almost any lighting conditions (although it's better to keep it in
a bright light) and won't complain if you forget to water it.
However, there can be some problems with ponytail palms. One of the most common
- is overwatering. You see, its roundish thick trunk can keep the moisture in
itself for "in case" if you didn't water it in time, but it doesn't have
anything to protect the plant from excessive water. Especially it can be lethal
for Beaucarnea in winter, when temperature is a bit lower. The ponytail will
rot in no time.
Another problem with Beaucarneas indoors - it is prone to the insect attacks.
Check often the undersides of the plant's leaves to make sure there are no
mealybug symptoms.
The good thing about ponytail palm is that if it's foliage doesn't look good for
some reason, you can cut it back to the base. The new fresh growth will appear
pretty quickly. Some people cut it to make the trunk bulb larger.
As any plant that doesn't like overwatering, Beaucarnea will appreciate light
well-draining soil - the cactus potting mix will do great.
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