Beaucarnea recurvata

The ponytail palm is a slow-growing tree from eastern Mexico. It stores water in a swollen base and carries tufts of long, recurved, strap-like leaves. In the wild it grows on rocky, poor soils in tropical deciduous forest with a long dry season, so it wants bright sun, a gritty mix and infrequent deep watering.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in low tropical deciduous forest and scrub on rocky slopes, cliffs and thin limestone soils. Trees stand in full sun or partial shade, and the canopy around them is leafless for much of the dry season.

Records run from 7 to 1,428 m with a median of 380 m (182 records); published accounts give about 200 to 900 m.

Mexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico Southwest

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Beaucarnea

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, unmodified.