My new favorite plant

I like all my indoor plants. I have a shelf-load of African violets that bloom like crazy in a north-facing window. I love begonias, with their big, crazy leaves. I have a lot of really cool plants, but my new favorite is my ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata).

I actually have two ponytail palms. (I bought a second one because I love them so much). What’s so great about ponytail palms? For starters, they’re graceful and sort of funky-looking all at the same time. They’re splashy enough that you can’t miss them when you walk into the room, but they aren’t overwhelming or obnoxious. (Yep; plants, like people, can be a little overbearing, right?) Oddly enough, they aren’t actually palms; they are cousins of the lily family. I hear they bloom, but mostly outdoors.

I tend to be a little inconsistent when it comes to plant care. Sometimes I water too often; other times I don’t water enough. Sometimes, I skip a few days. I’m inconsistent with fertilizer too. Yes, I fertilize during spring and summer, but probably not as often as I should. Obviously, ponytail palms aren't fussy!

So, I need a plant that’s willing to put up with me. So far, ponytail palm is just the ticket. A few weeks after I brought the plant home, I noticed that the tips of the

long, grassy leaves were turning brown. Uh oh, maybe not enough water? I snipped off the brown tips, watered the heck out of the plant and it’s been happy ever since.

Today, I noticed my larger ponytail palm is getting rootbound and the funny, “elephant-feet” swellings at the base of the plant are squeezed in the pot. Repotting is on my agenda for this weekend. Pretty sure it’ll do fine; this plant is a survivor!

My advice? Go get yourself a ponytail palm; you won’t be sorry!