Here's a typical planting of a Beucarnia in Los Angeles. Note the new flowers coming out from the tops of all the branches- you can tell it's early summer here.
Greetings--I am new to Dave's Gardening, and enjoying it immensly. I have a question regarding the Pony Tail Palm that I'm hoping you can answer. My plant is about 15 years old, lives in a container outdoors year round (in Southern California), is about 4 feet tall and quite healthy. It is fertilized twice a year, and has been repotted once when it's pot broke. In all these years, the plant has never flowered or put on offshoots that I see in other photos. Am I neglecting to do something cricital? Thank you for your assistance!
why the hurry? These plants look great until they flower, and then they don't look so good anymore. I am hoping my own plants don't flower for many years. 4' tall seems pretty old for 15 years. My own plants are about 6-7 years old and they are well over 4' already. I do have one in a pot and it is relatively stunted. It may take these plants many more years to mature to the point of flowering if grown in a pot.
Thanks for your response. I'll continue to enjoy my plant as is -- it's one of the focal points of my front yard, and is frequently admired by visitors.
Hi PalmBob,
I don't know if you got my last e-mail or not but here is another picture that shows what my question is.
Is it normal for this ponytail Palm to have the sprouts to come out of the base of the plant? Also is there anyway I can stop it?
I got it from someone a year ago who has never had that happen. It looks like it is normal when I see your pictures. My only concern is that this plant has a ton of them getting ready to spout...it will be way to big for the house.
Please see the image below and if you want to see more images please let me know.
Thank you for your help!
Deborah
debwelch111@msn.com
I dont recall getting an email from you (here, or on my real email?).. anyway, that is normal. No way to stop it.. but you can break them off easily enough and they will scar over with hardly a blemish if you do it early enough.
You could probably start new plants with them. Is that possible, palmbob?
Then you would have a backup and some to give away if so.
you would have to wait until they got a bit larger.. .I have started some that way, but I usually let them grow for a year or so on the caudex before removing them and rooting them
