Description
Beaucarnea – Ponytail Palm –
There are about 24 species of evergreen shrubs and trees, in this genus. They occur in semi desert and scrub from Southern USA to Guatemala. Most have unbranched, plume like stems with an expanded base, and a terminal tuft of liner-strap shaped, leathery leaves. Most have corky bark. They bear 6 tepaled white flowers in terminal panicles. May not flower to trunk is a least 3′ feet high. Where not hardy grow in indoors as specimen indoors.
Indoors they can reach the ceiling and grow in soil based potting mix in full light. Water moderately in growth, sparingly in winter.
Outdoors, in mild to warm climates grow in moderately fertile, sharply drained soil in full sun.
Prone to spider mites, scale insects, fungal spots, stem rots, bacterial leaf streak and bacterial soft rot.
B. recurvata – Nolina recurvata – Nolina tuberculata – Ponytail Palm – This slow growing, bulbous swollen stems, evergreen palm from Southeastern Mexico grows 12-25′ feet tall and 6-12′ feet wide. It has a flaring to flask shape base, the trunk branches sparingly with age. It produces rosettes of mid to deep green leaves, to 6′ feet long, are channeled and recurved, and sometimes twisted. In summer it bears tiny, mauve tinted, creamy white flowers, in panicles 3′ feet long followed by pinkish 3 winged fruit. Rare to flower and fruit under glass. Makes a handsome large houseplant.
Zones 10-15
