Beaucarnea recurvata In Washington, DC

[jwf1983]

We bought this Ponytail Palm at a local home and garden center 2.5 years ago. It was pretty small, as indicated in the picture below.  Shortly after that photo, we moved to a house in the NoMa/Capitol Hill neighborhood in DC that had a little yard, and since then, we’ve planted a Trachy f., Sabal minor, as well as some Sagos and a Strawberry Guava.   This Ponytail Palm has been the biggest surprise, as it appears to be far more cold tolerant that I had ever expected, having spend the last two winters outside on our patio/yard, pushing through winter, and continuing to grow and flourish during the warm season.  The only thing used as protection was a white frost cloth that I would wrap around the trunk, and then a white zip-up frost cloth over top of it. Both purchased on Amazon for less than $25 total. During winter, I would make sure to cover it during the nights when temps fell below 35 degrees or so.  While it’s been in the yard, I’ve recorded minimum temps this past winter of 16 degrees on two occasions, and several nights in the low 20’s over the last two winters. 
One thing I’ve tried to pay attention to was really limiting water during the winter. This, for two reasons: 1. It was an attempt to mimic its natural seasonal changes within its typical range (wet summer/dry winter); 2. Winters in Washington, DC are highly changeable, but, many times, a warmer winter day (maybe with highs in the 60’s) is often wet, pulling moisture up from further south/Gulf of Mexico. Usually during those evening a cold front will power on through with lots of wind, and temps will plummet—often just above, and sometimes we’ll below freezing.  I feel like this would be the kiss of death for the Ponytail Palm.  While I do have to pay close attention the the winter weather, take precautions, make sure to preemptively cover it up before a severe front or freeze or frozen precip (which isn’t all that often, honestly), it’s not all that much work.  Just some frost cloth.  This Ponytail Palm can’t really fit in the back door of the house anymore, so I guess we will have to manage it outside for years to come.

[Alex High]

15 hours ago, jwf1983 said:

We bought this Ponytail Palm at a local home and garden center 2.5 years ago. It was pretty small, as indicated in the picture below.  Shortly after that photo, we moved to a house in the NoMa/Capitol Hill neighborhood in DC that had a little yard, and since then, we’ve planted a Trachy f., Sabal minor, as well as some Sagos and a Strawberry Guava.   This Ponytail Palm has been the biggest surprise, as it appears to be far more cold tolerant that I had ever expected, having spend the last two winters outside on our patio/yard, pushing through winter, and continuing to grow and flourish during the warm season.  The only thing used as protection was a white frost cloth that I would wrap around the trunk, and then a white zip-up frost cloth over top of it. Both purchased on Amazon for less than $25 total. During winter, I would make sure to cover it during the nights when temps fell below 35 degrees or so.  While it’s been in the yard, I’ve recorded minimum temps this past winter of 16 degrees on two occasions, and several nights in the low 20’s over the last two winters. 
One thing I’ve tried to pay attention to was really limiting water during the winter. This, for two reasons: 1. It was an attempt to mimic its natural seasonal changes within its typical range (wet summer/dry winter); 2. Winters in Washington, DC are highly changeable, but, many times, a warmer winter day (maybe with highs in the 60’s) is often wet, pulling moisture up from further south/Gulf of Mexico. Usually during those evening a cold front will power on through with lots of wind, and temps will plummet—often just above, and sometimes we’ll below freezing.  I feel like this would be the kiss of death for the Ponytail Palm.  While I do have to pay close attention the the winter weather, take precautions, make sure to preemptively cover it up before a severe front or freeze or frozen precip (which isn’t all that often, honestly), it’s not all that much work.  Just some frost cloth.  This Ponytail Palm can’t really fit in the back door of the house anymore, so I guess we will have to manage it outside for years to come.

Amazing! I always love hearing from fellow D.C. area palm/exotic plant growers. Your ponytail palm looks great and that's super impressive it's done so well here with such minimal protection. Thanks for sharing, keep us posted!

[GregVirginia7]

Hmmmm…I have two, a light green variety and a dark green one, both in pots…I pull them in for the winter and shower/water them once a month till they go back outside…they would be really nice in-ground but not sure I want to do the protection routine…but nice job on your efforts! How are the Trachy and Sabals doing? Are they in-ground? I’m about 15 miles from you…amazing the temperature differences when your urban heater kicks on in the winter…

[jwf1983]

Hi Greg.  I never originally set out to keep the Ponytail Palm outside year round. We originally lived in an apartment with a brick covered patio in upper northwest DC, and kept it there primarily because our cat would obsessively bite at it.  It exploded with growth the first year, so when we moved to the Captiol Hill/NoMa area, we just kept it in yard. Once winter came, it was very heavy and could barely fit through our back door.  The number one thing I look out for in the winter are those powerful cold fronts. It seems that the warmer winter days are typically wet, rainy, south winds before a front rolls in and temps plummet.  I make a point to water almost never during the winter due to worrying about flash freeze. I’ll even keep the lighter frost cloth on it sometimes during the day to mitigate some of the moisture. Most days, and some nights, I don’t keep it covered at all. No artificial heating. By beginning of March this year, I did notices more browsing or yellowing of the leaves, indicating some stress—that was expected. But with the early warmth of spring it started growing new leaves and gained a couple inches in trunk height.   The main thing seems to be as much full sun as it can possibly take, particularly on colder days.  I have to say, i feel that this species may be just a little less cold tolerant than Cycas Revoluta (which all 4 that I have I had to prune heavily after winter—they have all grown new fronds this late spring/early summer).  I do think the Ponytail Palm likely wouldn’t have made it if I wasn’t paying attention to flash freezes when it had wet soil. Seemed more important that minimum temp concerns at least. 
 

The city microclimate seems fairly strong, to your point.  We have Spanish moss from both North Florida/“ and Corolla, NC, some of which came on a Southern Live oak we bought 2 years ago. All the moss not only survived winters, but has spread through the oak, on to our rose tree, and also on a 100 year old Catalpa tree in the front of the house. Bright green and healthy.  We also had a Strawberry Guava plant make it through the winter and currently over growing it’s planter.  The Trachy is doing great, though it requires an insane amount of water, almost daily, due to its many hours of direct sunlight per day.  The Sabal Minor is doing great as well, but also sucks up as much water as I can give it.  Pushed out 4 or 5 new fronds since planting it in March, but it is quite slow growing.

 

How’s everything going in your yard?

[jwf1983]

[jwf1983]

Added the Sabal minor and Trachy here as well.

[Alex High]

7 hours ago, jwf1983 said:

They look great as well, nice and healthy palms! 👍

[GregVirginia7]

Your palms look great…Trachy looks very happy! Once the Sabals get their subterranean trunks set, they’ll start to move pretty quickly…have three seed starts in ground for 2-3 years and they are just now going from single strap leaves to multistrap, so not long till the mature fronds emerge? All my palms took a hit after the Christmas freeze this past winter…very mild winter up to Christmas, then two nights, one at 5 F. and the next at 11 F. followed by two days below freezing…then back to somewhat mild…the combination of mild to super cold to mild again was a real challenge…one theory I read here was that the palms were not slowly acclimated to the pending real cold as the temperatures leading up to the event were mild for a winter, so they literally got the shock of their lives as past, much harsher winters produced NO frond losses, none, but this past winter, a lot of frond damage on the 11’ Trachy, but it’s recovering quickly…before Christmas freeze:

After…lost a lot of fronds…but new ones coming in big and strong:

The Brazoria behind it took frond damage, too but is pushing new fronds out at a good rate…before flash freeze:

After…

The Chamaerops got almost completely fried but has really bounced back…from this…

To this…I’ll protect much better this winter…it is the only one protected every winter…

I highly recommend a Sabal McCurtain for you…thinner segments than a Minor and very dark green/bluish…nice looking, no protection palm.

 

Here’s one of the Sabal Minors from seed looking to show a more mature three pointed frond? But I’m with you, takes time but no protection is a big plus!

Glad to see yours are doing so well…I do think, even though not that many miles separate our locations, urban island winter temperatures in our zone 7 region are a real advantage for sure…

[necturus]

Beaucarnea recurvata can go below freezing, but days below freezing with low at 20 or below will kill them. There used to be some huge plants in protected Houston gardens with gigantic bases, but to the best of my knowledge they all died in the Texas freeze.

[Meangreen94z]

Wrapping Christmas lights on them with a blanket or tarp goes a long way. My mother in Houston has one in her backyard that took no damage from 14°F in February 2021 or 16°F last December (2022). They briefly lost power in 2021 for a few hours.

[DAVEinMB]

Isolated example but my ponytail recovered from three consecutive nights of mid/low teens (13F, 13F, and 14F). It took a little while to show signs of life but I was surprised to see it do anything, especially because it was its first winter in the ground. I'll get some pics of it to show before and after. 

[DAVEinMB]

All of the new growth is coming from the base of the plant. Has 3 or 4 new shoots starting

Got a new phone and can't figure out how to get the pictures oriented correctly. 

[Meangreen94z]

Splitting into multiple trunks, 6 foot fence for reference. Some minor damage can be seen from last Decembers 16-18°F. I wrapped the base in Christmas lights and put a plastic tarp over top.

[jwf1983]

Greg… You Trachy is incredible, by the way.  I was just down in the Carolina’s and most looked sun scorched or with many dead/dying fronds.  They seem to require a bit more work than I think I initially thought. Mine can’t get enough water.  We’ve had flooding downpours and by the next afternoon, bone dry soil, fronds slightly folding. When it’s soaked, it looks great.  Really impressive stuff you have over there.  By the way, I just noticed this:  is it possibly my Sabal minor’s first mature frond? Or am I just getting my hopes up?