Thick as an elephant's leg at the bottom, a green tuft on top: the ponytail palm stores water in its trunk, loves sun and forgives almost everything – except wet feet.

What it does for you

The ponytail palm is easy to care for and does well even for beginners^1,2. In its thick stem base, the caudex, it stores water and so survives long dry spells². Above it, the narrow leaves cascade down like a fountain¹. Dry, heated air doesn't bother it³, and it lives so long that it can easily outlive you².

Origin & history

In the wild it grows only in Mexico, in the Gulf, north-east and south-west regions⁴. There it grows on stony, poor soils in low, deciduous forests and reaches up to 9 m³.

An older name is Nolina recurvata⁵. Since 2017 it has been under international species protection (CITES, Appendix II)⁶.

Caution

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln lists the ponytail palm as non-toxic for people⁷; for cats and dogs it is considered non-toxic as well^8,3. Careful when handling it, though: the leaf edges are finely serrated and can cut the skin².

Care

Light. As bright as possible, ideally with direct sun^2,3. A window with only morning or evening sun works too¹. It can go outside in summer once nights stay above 10 °C, but get it used to the sun slowly, or it burns^2,3.

Water. Water thoroughly and let the soil dry out in between, much less in winter^2,3. Too much water is the most common reason it dies².

Temperature & humidity. It likes dry winters and copes well with heated indoor air^3,2; normal room temperature suits it⁹. It shouldn't get below 10 °C^3,5.

Soil, pot & repotting. Cactus soil or potting compost with sharp sand or fine gravel². A fairly small pot with good drainage is enough, and it also stays smaller in it². You only need to repot it after many years², then in spring⁵ – roughly every three to five years is a rule of thumb.

Feeding. Feeding once or twice per growing season is enough²; Iowa State suggests a dilute feed once or twice a month in spring and summer¹.

Extras

Usually only large, old plants flower, and hardly ever indoors^2,3. It is dioecious: only female plants bear seeds². If you cut the top off young plants, they sprout several heads – that's how nurseries grow multi-headed specimens².

Brown leaf tips are common indoors, caused by too much or too little water, too much fertiliser or built-up salts; you can cut them off². Pests are rare, mostly mealybugs and scale insects².