Ponytail Palm
The Ponytail Palm is a desert or southern region plant. The distinctive shape of this palm tree is beautiful. The tree is very heavy on the bottom and graduates up to look similar to an onion. The unique beauty is one reason people like to have a ponytail palm in their landscapes.
| Names | Beaucarnea recurvata. Common names are ponytail palm tree, elephant foot tree, or elephant tree |
| Plant Type | Solitary Palm Tree |
| Hardiness Zones | Down to 8b |
| Light Needs | Full to partial shade. |
| Water Needs | Moderate. The ponytail is similar to the Yucca with the same requirements in water needs. |
| Soil Needs | Moist, Well-Drained |
| Cold Tolerance | Cold Tolerant, down to 15 degrees. |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Mature Height | Usually 10 feet tall at maturity. The ponytail plan can reach up to 20 feet tall and 10 wide, however, that is very rare. |
General Care
Extremely Easy. The ponytail palm may need occasional palm fertilizer to keep it healthy.
Design Ideas
Perfect for taller homes. Offers a upward visual look that balances the height of the house to the lower height of the palm tree. The Ponytail Palm tree could be used to offer shade and visual interest as a perfect addition to any Tampa Bay yard. The foliage makes a distinctively unique canopy that looks like a fountain of leaves or, as you might have guessed, a ponytail. It is fairly drought resistant to make it through the non-rainy season in Tampa, its onion shaped lower trunk allows it to store water. This beautiful tree will boom multiple times a year and .
The Ponytail Palm also makes a great planted tree for outdoor patios. It can complement any arrangement of flowering plants to create a more defined tropical look. They could even thrive well indoors but need an area with plenty of direct light.
