Plant Finder

Other Names:  Ponytail Palm, Elephant's Foot, Beaucarnea stricta

Description:

A stunning accent plant that develops a swollen base over time, under rising tufts of narrow green leaves; must be very old to bloom; water deeply but infrequently; protect from frost; an excellent indoor accent plant for a bright area

Features & Attributes

Bear Grass's attractive serrated narrow leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the year on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. It features showy panicles of creamy white flowers with white overtones and violet streaks rising above the foliage from early to mid summer.

This is a multi-stemmed evergreen houseplant with an upright spreading habit of growth. This plant should not require much pruning, except when necessary to keep it looking its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Bear Grass can be expected to grow to be about 7 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 80 years. This houseplant will do well in a location that gets either direct or indirect sunlight, although it will usually require a more brightly-lit environment than what artificial indoor lighting alone can provide. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and may die if left in standing water for any length of time. This plant should be watered when the surface of the soil gets dry, and will need watering approximately once each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.