Ponytail Palm (Tabletop)

The ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata, elephant's foot) in tabletop size: a swollen, water-storing base beneath a fountain of fine, curling leaves. Offered in a seagrass basket, brushed chrome, or black ceramic. It arrives in its grower's pot set inside a sealed planter, ready to place.

Details

• Size: Tabletop
• Planter: Seagrass basket, brushed chrome, or black ceramic
• Light: Bright light, ideally with some direct sun
• Pets: The ASPCA lists the ponytail palm as non-toxic to cats and dogs
• Best for: Sunny desks, windowsills, and shelves, including homes with pets
• Care: Very easy

Grown, delivered, guaranteed

Prepared at the Interior Foliage Design greenhouse, 47-47 58th St, Woodside, NY 11377. Free pickup at our Woodside greenhouse, usually ready within 24 hours, Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM. Delivery is $45 to Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Greenpoint, Maspeth, Hunters Point, West Williamsburg and Manhattan below 125th Street; $125 to the rest of Brooklyn and Queens and Manhattan above 125th Street; $195 to Westchester, Nassau, western Suffolk through Riverhead, Greenwich and New Canaan; and $295 to the East End and Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties in New Jersey. Every plant carries our 48-hour replacement guarantee; live plants are not returnable (refund policy). Our family has sold plants in New York since the 1970s, and Interior Foliage Design was incorporated in 1980.

Watering

Let the soil dry most of the way down before you water, which indoors is usually every two to four weeks. Then give a small, measured amount of room-temperature water, enough to moisten the root ball, never a flood. The sealed planter keeps your floors dry, and with this plant less is always more. In winter, when growth slows, water even more sparingly.

Why the ponytail palm handles dry air

NC State Extension notes that the ponytail palm is not a true palm but a member of the asparagus family, native to Mexico, with a swollen stem that stores water. It does well even with indoor heated air, and it can go two to three weeks between waterings.

FAQ

Is it pet-safe? Yes. The ASPCA lists the ponytail palm as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

How often do I water? Sparingly, when the soil has dried most of the way down; even less in winter.

What light does it need? A bright spot with some direct sun is ideal.