Species · genus Beaucarnea · Asparagaceae

Ponytail Palm

Beaucarnea gracilis Lem.

Also known as: Mexican Pony Tail Palm

Growth habit

tree

Native range

Mexico Central, Mexico Southwest

Reference · B. gracilis

Cultivars of B. gracilis

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under B. gracilis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Beaucarnea gracilis is a slow-growing caudex-forming tree from the arid regions of central and southwestern Mexico, storing water in its swollen base to survive drought. Give it the brightest spot you have, ideally direct sun, in a gritty fast-draining mix, and water deeply only once the soil has dried out completely throughout the pot. Let it run dry between waterings, as its water-storing base rots readily if kept moist.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 28 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

10–30 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining sandy succulent mix

Propagation

Grown from seed; offsets occasionally

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Ponytail Palm yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.