Ponytail Palm Care

Ponytail Palm

Ponytail Palms have become popular succulent to grow indoors. These succulents are slow growing; however, they can become quite large and impressive! The name Ponytail Palm comes from how their green leaves resemble a ponytail!

Water: Ponytail Palms are drought tolerant and do not like a lot of water. Water your Ponytail Palm no more than once a week. I recommend watering Ponytail Palms every week in a half except during the winter, water once a month. Overwatering can easily kill a Ponytail Palm. However, if your Ponytail Palm is getting brown tips, it may be a sign of not enough water.

Light: Give Ponytail Palms as much light as you can. Put them as close to a window as you can.

The Base of a Ponytail Palm

Soil: Ponytail Palms need a fast-draining potting mix. Cactus and Succulent potting mixes from the store work great. To improve drainage to help keep your Ponytail Palm from getting overwatered, add a little Perlite to your soil.

Pot: Use a terracotta pot to help prevent overwatering. Terracotta pots allow the soil to breathe in the pot as opposed to a ceramic pot. Use a pot that has about an inch distance from the rim of the pot to the base of the Ponytail Palm. If your Ponytail Palm outgrows the inch distance, it is time to repot. Keeping your Ponytail Palm in a small pot will not harm the plant, but it will stunt its growth. If you are looking for your Ponytail Palm to grow bigger, make sure your pot allows for growth.

Fertilizer: Use a slow-release cactus and succulent fertilizer once a year in the spring.

Pests: Ponytail Palms are prone to getting spider mites. If you notice webbing on the leaves of your Ponytail Palm, move your Ponytail Palm away from the rest of your plants, Then, remove the webs with a wet washcloth. Spray your Ponytail Palm with a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half water. Repeat these steps once a week until the spider mites are gone.

Issues: If your Ponytail Palm begins to get brown tips, it may be a sign of under-watering. Increase the frequency that you water your succulent; however, never water more than once a week. Another cause of brown tips may be overfertilizing. If you think this may be the cause, remove some of your slow-release fertilizer pellets and make make sure to follow the directions on the fertilizer bottle.

Poison: Ponytail Palms are not poisonous to cats and dogs! Do not worry too much if you catch your pet chewing on the leaves, this plant is non-toxic!

If you notice the bottom leaves of your Ponytail Palm are turning brown and dying, this is normal. This happens as the Ponytail Palm grows and puts off new leaves. Once the leave is completely brown and dry, pull or cut it off.

Top of Ponytail Palm

Ponytail Palm

Ponytail Palms are an easy houseplant to grow! These plants thrive on neglect so don't worry if you are a plant killer! The main secret to keeping these plants alive and growing is to not overwater. As long as you never water more than once a week, you should be fine. These plants have a dramatic appearance with their wide-spreading leaves, so they make a great plant to decorate any space!

Good Luck!

Lily's Indoor Jungle