How to Trim an Elephant's Foot Tree

A palmlike succulent native to Mexico, the Elephant’s foot tree (Beaucarnea recurvata), also known as the pony tail palm, is a desert plant hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 12. Grown for its swollen trunk, resembling an elephant’s foot when mature, and its graceful, ribbonlike leaves, the pony tail palm can reach a height of 30 feet if grown in an outdoor garden, or kept at only a few feet tall if grown in a pot. A low-maintenance plant, the pony tail palm can still benefit from an occasional trimming.

Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  Snip off dead leaves at the base of the plant using a pair of scissors. Discard the dead leaves and remove any that may have fallen onto the surface of the soil. Dead and decaying vegetation on the surface of the soil can encourage the appearance of mold or other diseases that may threaten the health of the plant.
- 2
  Trim off the browning edges of leaves for a nicer appearance. Snip off these browning edges at an angle to keep the tapered appearance of the leaves. Discard the snipped ends.
- 3
  Trim off the top of an elephant’s foot tree to encourage branching. The tree will send up a central trunk with a tuft of leaves at the top. When the tree is mature, it will begin to branch and form a canopy. If a small, bushy tree is desired, the elephant’s foot palm can be made to branch at a young age and smaller size by trimming off the top of the tree.
- 4
  Prune off the top of the tree no later than the middle of the growing season. Place the palm in a sunny and dry location to allow the wound to heal without being infected by rot or mold. The tree will send out several new branches where the top of the trunk was trimmed.

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