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How to Care for Ponytail Palms

Poneytail palm indoors by a window. The Beaucarnea Recurvata, also known as Ponytail Palm, or Nolina is a houseplant with a swollen thick brown stem and the long narrow curly, green leaves flow up from this base.
Photo Credit
Renata.Ka/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Beaucarnea recurvata
Plant Type
Houseplants
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower Color
White
Yellow
Hardiness Zone
9
10
11

Growing Ponytail Palm Houseplants: Watering, Lighting, Repotting, and Pests

Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Ponytail palms, or elephant foot palms, are unique-looking, long-lived indoor plants that thrive on benign neglect. They are straightforward to grow—provided that you don’t overwater them! Here’s how to grow and care for a ponytail palm in your home.

About Ponytail Palms

Despite its name and palm-like appearance, the ponytail palm is not a true “palm.” In fact, it is more closely related to desert plants in the Agave and Yucca genera (such as Joshua trees).

The typical ponytail palm consists of a large, domed “stump,” which tapers off into a thinner stem. As the plant ages, one or more rosettes of long, green, leathery leaves develop from the top of the stem. Indoors, the leaves can reach up to 3 feet long, but outdoors, they may be double that length.

In its native environment (eastern Mexico), the entire plant has been known to reach up to 30 feet in height! However, ponytail palms grown in gardens as landscape plants don’t usually reach more than 10 feet tall. 

Kept indoors, they are rarely taller than 4 feet. However, as Susan Mahr of the University of Wisconsin-Madison explains, “In containers, ponytail palms will grow slower than if in the ground, and the plants will remain small if kept in a small pot. They can go for many years before needing to be repotted. Moving it to a larger pot will give it room to grow in both height and girth. They can be very long-lived and can easily outlive their owners. However, older plants may be difficult to manage because of sheer size and weight if not kept on the smaller size.”

Care of this plant is generally simple; the most common difficulty is adapting your watering habits to its needs!

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Planting

Choosing Soil and a Pot

  • Use a fast-draining soil, such as a cacti and succulent potting mix. If you already have potting soil, sand, and perlite on hand, you can create your own desert soil mixture: Mix 1 part potting soil, 1 part perlite, and 1 part sand. 
  • Select a pot with a hole in the bottom so that excess water can be drained off. Ponytail palms do not like to sit in moist soil for very long.
  • Use a clay pot if possible; the porous material will absorb some of the water, drying out the soil more quickly (a good thing for cacti and succulents).

Growing

How to Care for Ponytail Palms

  • Ponytail palms prefer to have as much light as possible, so place the plant in a bright location. Bright, indirect sunlight is best.
  • Keep soil fairly dry. Water from spring through fall, allowing the top inch or two of soil to dry completely before re-watering. During the winter, only water occasionally.
  • To water, soak the soil and allow the excess water to drain through the bottom of the pot into a dish. Let the pot sit in the dish for several minutes, then dump out any remaining water in the dish. 
  • Fertilize in the spring with a cacti/succulent fertilizer and bring into a brighter room for the summer months. 
  • Average room temperature is acceptable for most of the year, but to replicate the natural dormancy cycle, keep the plant slightly cooler in the winter (50°–55°F / 10°–13°C).
  • Don’t let the plant sit too close to cold windows at night during winter, as freezing temperatures can severely damage it.

Repotting a Ponytail Palm

  • Ponytail palms will remain small if kept in a small pot. They can go for many years before needing to be repotted. Repotting every other year at the most is all a ponytail palm needs.
  • Moving the plant to a larger pot will allow it to grow in height and girth. However, older plants may become challenging to manage due to their sheer size and weight if they are not kept at a smaller size.
  • When selecting a new pot, pick one large enough to leave about an inch or so of space between the ponytail palm’s trunk and the pot’s rim. 
  • Note: Use caution when handling a ponytail palm, as its leaves have tiny serrated edges.

Harvesting

Propagation

  • Rarely, a ponytail palm may produce an offset—a tiny baby plant that stems from the base of the adult plant. These can be cut off at the base when they reach at least 4 inches in height and planted in a succulent potting mix. Before planting, allow the cut wound to heal, then apply some rooting hormone (available online and in nurseries) to encourage the offset to root. 

Gardening Products

Pests/Diseases

  • Overwatering can result in stem rot. If you withhold watering, the plant may be able to internally remedy the problem. Signs of stem rot include yellowing leaves and a caudex (the plant’s base and stem) that is soft or squishy. 
  • Spider mites and scale insects may find their way to the leaves, but can be dealt with by rubbing a cloth of dish soap and water on the stems. Spider mites are evidenced by the presence of spider-like webbing on the plant.
  • Brown tips on leaves can be a sign of overfertilizing or underwatering, so adjust your husbandry practices appropriately. They can also indicate that the plant is getting too much direct sunlight and too little water.

Wit and Wisdom

  • The plant’s unusual shape and coloration have granted it another strange nickname: the Elephant’s Foot Palm.
  • Are ponytail palms poisonous to cats? While the leaves of a ponytail palm are not toxic to feline (or canine) companions, their foliage does have abrasive edges that could irritate a pet’s mouth, so we suggest keeping the plant out of reach. 

Houseplant Guides
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the website companion of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She covers gardening, plants, pest control, soil composition, seasonal and moon c...
Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Maxwell Berins</span> Mon, 03/31/2014 - 04:29
I just received a ponytail palm from my mother, and I have been giving it a half a cup of water once a week. But every time I water the plant, mold grows on the soil. What do I do?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 04/02/2014 - 15:32

Is the mold sticky and does it disappear after the soil dries out? You may be giving the palm too much water. Let the soil dry out and then check for insects (mealy bugs are common). You may have to repot the palm in fresh soil.

 <span>Maureenf98</span> Sat, 03/22/2014 - 11:53
I've inherited a small ponytail palm that was barely watered and has a lot of dead leaves. I'd like to bring this plant back if possible. Any advice on whether or not that is possible?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 03/24/2014 - 18:59

First, we would change the soil and repot in well-draining bonsai soil. Tip it over and gently pull it out; brush off old soil; gently remove any dead roots. Repot in a container slightly bigger than the roots. Lightly dust the remaining roots with rooting hormone. Do not water for at least a week. Then slowly add small amounts of water over the next few weeks afterward. Keep it lots of light but not direct sun. Only water when dry. It does not need much water.

 <span>Kimberly L</span> Fri, 03/21/2014 - 17:02
My ponytail plant leaves seem to crack at the top when they are getting longer. What can I do for this?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 03/24/2014 - 18:53

This problem is often related to too much water. Ensure that the soil has good drainage and consider a change of soil--which will allow you to ensure that there is not a root problem. If you check these issues, the issue should resolve itself. We would not remove any leaves.

 <span>Lee Metcalf</span> Mon, 03/10/2014 - 23:39
I have a nice 2 ft tall ponytail palm, if I keep it outside all summer, will it make it through the winter indoors. I have very low light inside. Should I get a grow light to keep it healthy?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 03/11/2014 - 16:41

Hi Lee,

If you have very low light indoors we recommend to get grow light. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. A fluorescent bulb will do.

 <span>Jazmin</span> Thu, 03/20/2014 - 17:45
I would like to know how much water should I give my indoor ponytail palm? I am generally new to keeping care of plants.
<span>Dot Barnes</span> Mon, 05/04/2015 - 00:02
Only water every two weeks. One cup no more.