Scientific: Beaucarnea recurvata (also known as Nolina recurvata or Dasylirion recurvatum)
Common: pony tail palm, elephant's foot palm, bottle palm
Family: Agavaceae (though some botanical references place this plant in either the Nolinaceae, Liliaceae or Dracaenaceae family)
Origin: Scrub and semi-desert areas in southeastern Mexico

Hardiness zones
Sunset 13, 16-24
USDA 9 - 12

Landscape Use: Specimen, atriums, courtyards, shade gardens, container plant, house plant

Form & Character: Evergreen, stiff and upright, weird, palm-like succulent with a greatly expanded base and a single trunk with a rosette of long, strap-like leaves that arch and droop, tropical.

Growth Habit: Moderate to 10' with less than equal spread. Can attain greater heights to 30' in tropical climates and become arborescent.

Foliage/Texture: Tough, finely serrated and recurved leaves to 5 ' long and 1" wide. Are aggregated toward the plant apex making for a pony-tail top, medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Flowers are produced only on large specimens and are rarely seen in Arizona. They are creamy white and inconspicuous individually but borne in large showy upright clusters that extend above the leaves. Fruit are unseen in Arizona

Seasonal Color: None.

Temperature: Freeze intolerant, can be damaged severely below 18^oF.

Light: Partial sun to full shade, no western or southern sun

Soil: Must have good drainage, salt sensitive

Watering: In Phoenix, regular deep summer irrigation is required

Pruning: Only removal of dead leaves

Propagation: Offsets (suckers) can be separated and started as new plants in spring.

Disease and pests: None

Additional comments: Ponytail palm is often sold as a potted plant for the interesting appearance of its swollen base, which is in fact an adaptation for storing water during times of drought. A foliar variegated cultivar exists. Ponytail palms are closely related to Yucca.