Ponytail Palm House Plants That Give Off Shoots

Form

• The thick trunk crackles and splits as it ages, and the plump base resembles an elephant foot, which is another name for the plant. The foliage rises from the crown and arcs out in a rosette form. The ponytail palm is slow growing but can reach 30 feet. Container plants are considerably smaller and are often only 6 to 8 feet tall. The plants produce more trunks if the main trunk is damaged but are usually grown as single trunk specimens. The trunk develops foliage that becomes branches if allowed to grow.

Propagation

• Ponytail palm produces a large inflorescence when advanced in age. The seeds may be sown, but germination is erratic. Dividing the suckers or offsets at the base is the best germination method. These are separated from the trunk under the soil and started as individual ponytail palms. The growths or sprouts on the trunk do not start new plants. They don't form roots and are not useful as cuttings.

Division of Shoots

• The offsets that form at the soil level around the trunk are the vegetation that becomes new plants. Spring is the best time to remove these from the parent plant. The offsets need to go in a well-draining medium, such as sand for rooting. Lightly cut or wound the offset while on the parent plant and wrap the wound in moist sphagnum moss. If the moss is kept moderately moist, the offset should form new roots into the moss. Then you can cut it off and pot it up.

Trunk Growth

• Mature ponytail palms also form tufts of foliage on the normally leafless trunk. These little sprouts are not useful as propagation material but do form branches over time. Shave them off with a very sharp knife if you prefer a single-stemmed plant. Ponytail palms in nature often have several lower lateral branches, because of the development of these sprouts. Sprouts normally develop after the plant has flowered.