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Growing Ponytail Palm Houseplants: Watering, Lighting, Repotting, and Pests
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I’ve had a ponytail palm for over a year. It was doing well and now it is totally brown and no green whatsoever. What do I do? Can I trim it back? Do I repot it or is it dead?
My palm was beautiful about 6fttall) 20plus years) THEN it bloomed. This is the first time I had bees all over the place (plant is on porch). After the bloom died it left a brown stalk and now the
Palms droop and the plant is not the same
My palm was beautiful about 6fttall) 20plus years) THEN it bloomed. This is the first time I had bees all over the place (plant is on porch). After the bloom died it left a brown stalk and now the
I have a 30 yr. Ponytail plant it,s in my patio and is probably 15 ft.
It too tall for patio and I,m afraid it will harm if I put in direct sun direct sunlight. This summer has been slot 90-100 dg. Any ideas ?
Someone said I could cut half way down and replant the top and create 2 plants?
Carol in cal.
Hi Carol,
Your ponytail palm sounds incredible. It performs best with as much light as possible and since it is native to semi-desert areas, it can thrive in direct sun, but you would just need to be mindful of the summer months you described when it is extremely hot. It is winter hardy in Zones 10 and 11. Since it needs a new home you could certainly move it to another area of your property (if there is a good location for it) and just keep a watchful eye on it after moving to see how it responds to the conditions. It may take some time to find the right place for it.
As for cutting the trunk and making it two plants, it is not something that is typically done. If you must cut it, you can certainly try to replant the top in a new container filled with fresh growing medium, but there is no guarantee that the top part will root. You will definitely want to dip it in rooting hormone. As for what remains, when the top is cut off, it will expose the open trunk so you will need to find a way to protect it from the introduction of diseases and keep it dry.
Hope this helps!
Thank you..
I,m going to move it out from the patio and keep an eye on it.
Thank again for your help.
Carol
I love her simple and straightforward methods. Ty
First off thank you for your awesome article on the lovely Ponytail palms. I love them. Secondly I think it's wonderful that you always reply to the people that post comments/questions, as I will greatly appreciate your insights.
A neighbor down the road have 2 beautiful large Ponytail palms and the bloomed and made seeds. Apparently they only bloom and seed after the age of 30 years. I asked the neighbor for some of the seeds and he was kind enough to give me a clipping with seeds. Now my question is how to germinate them? Should I remove the husk part on the outside or plant it as it is? I would really love to grow some from seed.
Hello Catherine! How generous of your neighbor to share seeds! We’ve never heard of a 30-year blooming cycle for ponytail palms, but we know that only females produce flowers, then seeds. You’ll want to scarify the seed husks and soak them in water overnight to germinate. Happy Growing!
—The Editors
I have a question about ponytail palms . Does the palm die after it flowers? I have a palm blooming