Beaucarnea recurvata (Ponytail Palm) in trouble?

[miamicuse]

I have a Beaucarnea recurvata where the top new growth seems to be shooting out dry brown wilted leaves, here is an overall picture followed by some close ups.  The wood fence behind is 6' tall to give an idea of scale.  It has been in this spot for 4 years without any problems.

lots of dryer brown growth up top.

I pulled off most of the dry leaves.

The growth tip is very dry and wilted.

Is it rotting?  Should I use some hydrogen peroxide on the top and see what happens?

The base seems to be OK.

[TropicsEnjoyer]

Looks like some crown rot. Definitely go for some peroxide. I’m surprised it’s having issues, though the way they grow the center growth area might trap water. 
Hopefully other people have experience with this.

[miamicuse]

Should I try to wiggle and yank out the crown portion where it looks half dry before applying anything?

Is peroxide or copper fungicide better?

I have never done this but once I pour that in do I leave it to do it's thing, or come back in a bit to rinse out with regular water?

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, miamicuse said:

Should I try to wiggle and yank out the crown portion where it looks half dry before applying anything?

Is peroxide or copper fungicide better?

I have never done this but once I pour that in do I leave it to do it's thing, or come back in a bit to rinse out with regular water?

Just leave the hydrogen peroxide in, don't wash it out.  I have several that I transplanted from my first garden into my second when the buyer of the first house advised she planned to remove them.  A couple are in places where I want to cap their height.  I periodically lop off a crown and they create new growth points while the caudiciform trunk continues to enlarge.   I haven't lost one doing this for 35 years.  So if the hydrogen peroxide doesn't resolve the rot, I would cut off the crown below the rot and be patient for multiple new crowns to emerge. 

[miamicuse]

57 minutes ago, Tracy said:

Just leave the hydrogen peroxide in, don't wash it out.  I have several that I transplanted from my first garden into my second when the buyer of the first house advised she planned to remove them.  A couple are in places where I want to cap their height.  I periodically lop off a crown and they create new growth points while the caudiciform trunk continues to enlarge.   I haven't lost one doing this for 35 years.  So if the hydrogen peroxide doesn't resolve the rot, I would cut off the crown below the rot and be patient for multiple new crowns to emerge. 

Thanks Tracy, when you say you periodically lop off a crown, do you mean completely chop off all the green leaves at the top and just leave a stump for it to grow one (or more) heads?  or is there a way to leave the current crown and still introduce a new head?

[miamicuse]

It's been very dry in south Florida last few months, not even close to the normal amount of rain we typically get from March to July.  I have a hard time thinking this rot is caused my too much water retention on the crown...any way to tell if it's caused by too much water or not enough.

[Tracy]

4 hours ago, miamicuse said:

Thanks Tracy, when you say you periodically lop off a crown, do you mean completely chop off all the green leaves at the top and just leave a stump for it to grow one (or more) heads?  or is there a way to leave the current crown and still introduce a new head?

Yes, literally lop off the head a few inches to a foot or two below where the lowest retained leaflets are retained.   They grow back new sprouts from either the caudices or up the trunk at the terminous of where the stem was cut quickly.

[Tracy]

Here are some examples of ones I have butchered.

[miamicuse]

I added some 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and it fizzled a bit.  Do I wait to reapply in a few days?

[miamicuse]

An update with some new development, would appreciate some feedback...August has been an eventful month as far as plant crisis, started with a mature Laurel Oak death, followed by a Ganoderma infected 50' tall coconut palm broken at it's base crashing onto my roof, and now this Ponytail palm is in trouble, never a dull moment.

So on August 3 I applied some hydrogen peroxide to the top growth point.

Two weeks later on August 17 I did a second application of hydrogen peroxide again.

I checked again yesterday and have both bad news and not so bad news.

First the bad news, the growth point and newer leaves has turned dark brown, it is definitely rotting and the two applications of hydrogen peroxide was not able to arrest the rotting.

The brown leaves pulled out very easily with a gentle tuck, so I pulled out all the leaves that came off easy.  Some of the still green leaves came out too.

I remember @Tracy mentioned cutting it back at a lower point to let it grow back possible multiple heads, and was trying to decide where to make the cut.

However, this is when I noticed it already started two new growth to the left of the original growth point, as shown below.

Now my questions are:

(1) Should I leave it alone because it has two new shoots?  Or are these new shoots too close to the top and are prone to be affected by the existing rot?

(2) The rot at the top, if I push my finger into it it's still soft and spongy.  Should I dig out all the rot materials or leave it be?  More hydrogen peroxide or not?

(3) Should I still make a lower cut to get rid of the existing rotted growth point even including the new shoots?  Here is a full picture of the plant now, about 8.5 feet tall.

[Tracy]

42 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

An update with some new development, would appreciate some feedback...August has been an eventful month as far as plant crisis, started with a mature Laurel Oak death, followed by a Ganoderma infected 50' tall coconut palm broken at it's base crashing onto my roof, and now this Ponytail palm is in trouble, never a dull moment.

So on August 3 I applied some hydrogen peroxide to the top growth point.

Two weeks later on August 17 I did a second application of hydrogen peroxide again.

I checked again yesterday and have both bad news and not so bad news.

First the bad news, the growth point and newer leaves has turned dark brown, it is definitely rotting and the two applications of hydrogen peroxide was not able to arrest the rotting.

The brown leaves pulled out very easily with a gentle tuck, so I pulled out all the leaves that came off easy.  Some of the still green leaves came out too.

I remember @Tracy mentioned cutting it back at a lower point to let it grow back possible multiple heads, and was trying to decide where to make the cut.

However, this is when I noticed it already started two new growth to the left of the original growth point, as shown below.

Now my questions are:

(1) Should I leave it alone because it has two new shoots?  Or are these new shoots too close to the top and are prone to be affected by the existing rot?

(2) The rot at the top, if I push my finger into it it's still soft and spongy.  Should I dig out all the rot materials or leave it be?  More hydrogen peroxide or not?

(3) Should I still make a lower cut to get rid of the existing rotted growth point even including the new shoots?  Here is a full picture of the plant now, about 8.5 feet tall.

My suggestion is to remove above the new starts and confirm you have removed the rottdd section so it doesn't spread like a cancer.  After cutting,  I would apply a fungicide to the newly cut tissue.  Clean your cutting tools both before and after you do any cutting. 

[Silas_Sancona]

Since it's pushing new growth ( Obvious good sign any rot it suffered is limited ) I myself would simply hit the top w/ the hose to get all the gunk off it, maybe trim off a few more leaves above where the new shoots are pushing out,   let it dry out ..w/ maybe a dusting of Sulfur,   ..then go from there.. 

[TropicsEnjoyer]

8 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Since it's pushing new growth ( Obvious good sign any rot it suffered is limited ) I myself would simply hit the top w/ the hose to get all the gunk off it, maybe trim off a few more leaves above where the new shoots are pushing out,   let it dry out ..w/ maybe a dusting of Sulfur,   ..then go from there.. 

I agree with this. Let nature take its course. Healthy green growth should be a sign that the plant recognizes its original growth point is gone and can recover. I feel that if it was badly rotted growth points would’ve sprouted lower or not at all.

being in ft. laud/miami you should have absolutely no problem with this plant. I used to see plenty of literal tree sized beaucarnea in peoples front yard. of course every situation can be different but i’m sure your tree has a green future

[miamicuse]

I blasted the top rotted area with a garden hose a few days ago, and did that again today.  There are still rotted tissues on top.

Checking the new growth on the left I labeled "1" and "2", still looking good.

Than I noticed another new growth to the right, a very small one emerging.

I labeled that as "3" below.

[Silas_Sancona]

8 hours ago, miamicuse said:

I blasted the top rotted area with a garden hose a few days ago, and did that again today.  There are still rotted tissues on top.

Checking the new growth on the left I labeled "1" and "2", still looking good.

Than I noticed another new growth to the right, a very small one emerging.

I labeled that as "3" below.

Looks good... Good sign that it's putting out more new growth too..


Using the first of your shots... This would be my next step..

Carefully remove all the leaves above where the new growth is occurring ( Orange ) with one of those retractable box cutters ..or something similar ..leaving the leaf base attached to the stem of course  so there isn't any sort of  " cup " where water / moisture can pool up there.



I might give the rotten area on the left a scrape or two ..just to see if it is removable, or has scabbed over..

Beyond that, ..just keep that area clean, apply sulfur powder -if you have access to any-  and let the new growth do it's thing..  

[Merlyn]

I agree with all the above.  I have had small indoor ones get random crown rot, with never a drop of water touching the crown.  It just happens, sometimes.  Hydrogen peroxide followed with Daconil usually fixes it, but sometimes that head just dies.  The one thing you don't want is for a crown rot to get into the trunk and kill the whole thing.  I'd keep doing the hydrogen peroxide and sulfur powder until it no longer fizzles.  If the new shoots start having problems then I'd do @Tracy's trunk chop to keep then infection out of the base.

[miamicuse]

On 9/6/2025 at 12:18 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Looks good... Good sign that it's putting out more new growth too..


Using the first of your shots... This would be my next step..

Carefully remove all the leaves above where the new growth is occurring ( Orange ) with one of those retractable box cutters ..or something similar ..leaving the leaf base attached to the stem of course  so there isn't any sort of  " cup " where water / moisture can pool up there.



I might give the rotten area on the left a scrape or two ..just to see if it is removable, or has scabbed over..

Beyond that, ..just keep that area clean, apply sulfur powder -if you have access to any-  and let the new growth do it's thing..  

I have a set of exacto knives, may be I will use that to do some cleanup and see how much of this rotted head I can remove and the surrounding leaves higher than the rot.

One question I have is whether three new growth points at this spot is too much?  Will that inhibit normal healthy growth on all three new growth?  Should I cut one back (now or later once it looks like they are more established)?

[Silas_Sancona]

39 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

I have a set of exacto knives, may be I will use that to do some cleanup and see how much of this rotted head I can remove and the surrounding leaves higher than the rot.

One question I have is whether three new growth points at this spot is too much?  Will that inhibit normal healthy growth on all three new growth?  Should I cut one back (now or later once it looks like they are more established)?

For now, I'd let all three continue growing, then evaluate to determine which 1 of the 3 might need to be removed later.. 

if you look around at pictures of " topped " specimens online, you'll see numerous of examples where 3 ( ...or more ) new growths emerge afterward ( after the plant had it's top lopped off ) and the new branches continue to grow at the same pace after they'd emerged..

Here's a multi- branched, FL specimen someone posted over on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/matureplants/comments/121zeh9/ponytail_palm_in_fl/


Other shots of various specimens from Port St. Lucile Bot. Garden's site.  Shot #4 is a great example of a fat trunked, multi- branched specimen. 
https://www.pslbg.org/pony-tail-palm/


...And a shot of one of the monsters at the Huntington ( Bot. Garden ) in Pasadena ( California ) Have seen all of their specimens in person and the picture doesn't capture just how massive they really are. 
https://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8754501


..

 

[miamicuse]

On 9/8/2025 at 1:09 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

For now, I'd let all three continue growing, then evaluate to determine which 1 of the 3 might need to be removed later.. 

if you look around at pictures of " topped " specimens online, you'll see numerous of examples where 3 ( ...or more ) new growths emerge afterward ( after the plant had it's top lopped off ) and the new branches continue to grow at the same pace after they'd emerged..

Here's a multi- branched, FL specimen someone posted over on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/matureplants/comments/121zeh9/ponytail_palm_in_fl/


Other shots of various specimens from Port St. Lucile Bot. Garden's site.  Shot #4 is a great example of a fat trunked, multi- branched specimen. 
https://www.pslbg.org/pony-tail-palm/


...And a shot of one of the monsters at the Huntington ( Bot. Garden ) in Pasadena ( California ) Have seen all of their specimens in person and the picture doesn't capture just how massive they really are. 
https://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8754501


..

 

I like the pictures you referenced Nathan, however many of these the branches are coming at a lower position on the trunk so they look really nice.

For my plant it's quite tall already (trunk is about 8') so to split off three branches near the tip my concern is (1) the new branches will be very leggy and look kind of odd and (2) if they get bigger and heavier will the narrow trunk at the top able to support added weight and bulk.

There is no way to encourage a new growth at a lower point is there other than what Tracy suggested which is a truncation.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, miamicuse said:

I like the pictures you referenced Nathan, however many of these the branches are coming at a lower position on the trunk so they look really nice.

For my plant it's quite tall already (trunk is about 8') so to split off three branches near the tip my concern is (1) the new branches will be very leggy and look kind of odd and (2) if they get bigger and heavier will the narrow trunk at the top able to support added weight and bulk.

There is no way to encourage a new growth at a lower point is there other than what Tracy suggested which is a truncation.

Never been much of a fan of the " low branchers " / Specimens where branching starts within 0 - 4ft of the trunk base  =  ..Too ordinary looking / Dime a dozen, imo..

This one instantly caught my eye to it when i'd found it and is exactly how i'd train any i were growing.. 



Might look kind of gangly starting off, but, trunk and branches will fatten up over time..  
 

[Merlyn]

@miamicuse I think the lower branching is probabaly genetics, and maybe age.  I have seen a couple that are 10+ feet tall and still single trunks with no splits or extra heads.  I have two with 4-6 foot base diameters.  I got them from a friend, and they came with several trunks from the base like @Silas_Sancona's photo.  I think it probably happened after frost damage, because he lives a bit North in 9A.  

Anyway, mine have always had a couple of random tiny stubs growing out near the bottom and on the side of the trunks.  Some stubs died off, some kept going.  I'm not sure if there's a way to encourage new ones.  In Hawaiian Ti you can scrape the side with a knife and they'll sometimes grow roots or a new side shoot.

[miamicuse]

It's been raining cats and dogs every day for a week now so I haven't had a chance to perform any surgery.  Will update when I get a chance to do so.  I think all this rain is good for my other plants but not for this particular succulent.

[miamicuse]

I got a chance this afternoon during a brief pause during the rain to do some cleanup.

Unfortunately I wasn't careful enough I actually cut off the small new growth on the right side, so now I am back to just the two on the left.

[miamicuse]

a bit concerned about the constant rain causing further rot at the top.

I added some hydrogen peroxide into the hole at the very top and it fizzled like crazy.

[miamicuse]

Three days in a row I added hydrogen peroxide to the top and it continues to fizzle and foam.  Should I continue this daily treatment?

[miamicuse]

Another update.

It appears that the new growth to the right that I accidentally cut off is growing back.

In addition, two tiny growth points have emerged in the last 2 days.

So now there are 5 new growth points.

[Silas_Sancona]

21 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

Another update.

It appears that the new growth to the right that I accidentally cut off is growing back.

In addition, two tiny growth points have emerged in the last 2 days.

So now there are 5 new growth points.

  Looking good...  More new growths = whatever killed the top looks like it isn't progressing any further down the trunk. 

Don't try to remove it right now  but, dead " scab " above where all the new growth is,  might be removable   ..or is about ready to fall off on it's own soon.. 

[Tracy]

I was trying to photograph the Clinostigma but did get one of the Beaucarnia in the photo as well.   This shows a clump where i have one stem higher but the others trimmed lower.   My neighbor complained about one of the stems which was immediately adjacent to the wall and had half the head on their side.  I cut that off lower and another that hung too far over the walkway.   I removed two side growing heads on one of  the lower ones so my painters could get behind the plant a couple of weeks ago.  

These are resilient plants.  It is interesting to note that the base of this clump is constrained by the adjacent walls.  It remains the smallest base because of those limitations and never concerns me that is causes pressure on the walls that could do damage.  Your plant should recover just fine based on the progress. 

[miamicuse]

On 9/26/2025 at 3:24 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

  Looking good...  More new growths = whatever killed the top looks like it isn't progressing any further down the trunk. 

Don't try to remove it right now  but, dead " scab " above where all the new growth is,  might be removable   ..or is about ready to fall off on it's own soon.. 

It seems to be coming back, now with all five new growth points up top. I wonder if the highest one (the one pointed to by the red arrow in the picture below) should be cut away because it is so high and close to the rotted tip.

[Silas_Sancona]

12 hours ago, miamicuse said:

It seems to be coming back, now with all five new growth points up top. I wonder if the highest one (the one pointed to by the red arrow in the picture below) should be cut away because it is so high and close to the rotted tip.

Since the rest of the new growth appears to be pretty evenly distributed around the trunk, ..how it looks in the picture at least..  Could remove the random one that poked out above the rest for sure. 

Only concern i'd have ( ...If my own specimen ) is, creating any open wound this time of the year might be risky, esp. since it is close to where the rot had occurred. 

I might wait until Feb. or early March  ..Whenever any threat for cool / wetter conditions have passed out there... so that any wound created will dry out quickly. 

I also wonder if it wouldn't try to regrow again after being removed.. 

[miamicuse]

14 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Since the rest of the new growth appears to be pretty evenly distributed around the trunk, ..how it looks in the picture at least..  Could remove the random one that poked out above the rest for sure. 

Only concern i'd have ( ...If my own specimen ) is, creating any open wound this time of the year might be risky, esp. since it is close to where the rot had occurred. 

I might wait until Feb. or early March  ..Whenever any threat for cool / wetter conditions have passed out there... so that any wound created will dry out quickly. 

I also wonder if it wouldn't try to regrow again after being removed.. 

Oh that's right, the one that I accidentally cut off, grew back within a few days.  So may be I can't really cut it off.

[miamicuse]

An update about six months since I started this thread.

This is what it looks like today.

The top wound has dried up.

and there are a total of seven new heads at the top.

If this continues to grow, and given it's a slender trunk and with 7 new heads, I think it will be too top heavy in a year or two.

Should I plan on making a cut at mid-height to let it regrow say 3-4' from the ground, and the top part to soak in water to get it to root?

[SeanK]

I think plants are smarter than we give them credit for. Those 5 new head are not all on one side are they? Perfectly spaced they would be 72° apart.

My guess is that the plant will maintain balance and minimize loading on its own. Any stresses will be compensated for in the root system and supporting fibers. Many desert plants display compound branching and support themselves just fine.

[miamicuse]

On 2/5/2026 at 7:57 AM, SeanK said:

I think plants are smarter than we give them credit for. Those 5 new head are not all on one side are they? Perfectly spaced they would be 72° apart.

My guess is that the plant will maintain balance and minimize loading on its own. Any stresses will be compensated for in the root system and supporting fibers. Many desert plants display compound branching and support themselves just fine.

The more I look at it the more I think the branches are way too high.  The tip of the trunk is now 8' tall and the trunk there is really slender.  It is very windy in this spot and the fence is 6' tall so above 6' there is no wind protection.  To me it already look top heavy and when these branches grow I can't imagine how it would look except to break apart, and this is not even considering storms and hurricanes.

In the last few weeks I visited parks and nurseries and noticed all the Beaucarnea recurvata that branched have the branches very low.  I do not see one that had high branch off points like mine.  I think come spring rain season I am going to cut the top off and hope the bottom section will form new lower branches.  I will pot up the cut off top section and hope it will root.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

5 hours ago, miamicuse said:

The more I look at it the more I think the branches are way too high.  The tip of the trunk is now 8' tall and the trunk there is really slender.  It is very windy in this spot and the fence is 6' tall so above 6' there is no wind protection.  To me it already look top heavy and when these branches grow I can't imagine how it would look except to break apart, and this is not even considering storms and hurricanes.

In the last few weeks I visited parks and nurseries and noticed all the Beaucarnea recurvata that branched have the branches very low.  I do not see one that had high branch off points like mine.  I think come spring rain season I am going to cut the top off and hope the bottom section will form new lower branches.  I will pot up the cut off top section and hope it will root.

 

Not a single one of those plants pictured are Beaucarnea..  Look more like Yucca or Dracaena.

A few of the legit Beaucarnea from the Huntington..  Note how some are branching quite high.. 









Not a Beauc. ( Left )  Beaucarnea r. ( right )

[Merlyn]

@miamicuse I would also be concerned long-term for the top snapping in hurricanes.  Most of mine have split fairly low, and then grown single tall trunks.  But that could be artificial, i.e. someone chopped them at 1-2ft tall to force it to split.  That's how they sell them at the big box stores, and it's totally possible that mine all came from the box stores in the 90s.  You could chop it a little bit above the darker grey weathered area, or just leave it alone and see what happens.  It could end up really cool the way it is.  If it snaps off, you can just slice it at a convenient spot, dust with sulfur or paint with that sealant tar stuff, and it'll just keep on growing.  I don't know that there's a "wrong" answer...   

[Merlyn]

I would note, though, that this monster at Fairchild has about 8-10 feet of clear trunk before it starts branching.  The base is about 12' or so in diameter, maybe a bit larger.  I'm sure it's been through many hurricanes!

[Silas_Sancona]

27 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I would note, though, that this monster at Fairchild has about 8-10 feet of clear trunk before it starts branching.  The base is about 12' or so in diameter, maybe a bit larger.  I'm sure it's been through many hurricanes!

B recurvata,  ..and most other sps in the Genus come from the " are periodically flogged by Hurricanes / intense storms " side of Mexico so,   ..I'd just leave it and see what happens..

[miamicuse]

On 2/25/2026 at 11:13 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Not a single one of those plants pictured are Beaucarnea..  Look more like Yucca or Dracaena.
 

You are absolutely right my mind was wandering somewhere else LOL.

Nonetheless I think I want a much lower branching plant.  It just look better and fit the space better in my opinion.  I am torn between trying to cut it back vs leaving it alone.  If I do cut it back I might end up with two plants, or I may end up with none if the bottom rots out and the top doesn't root.

 

[TropicsEnjoyer]

On 2/25/2026 at 6:17 PM, Merlyn said:

I would note, though, that this monster at Fairchild has about 8-10 feet of clear trunk before it starts branching.  The base is about 12' or so in diameter, maybe a bit larger.  I'm sure it's been through many hurricanes!

Oh look I have another angle of the same Beaucarnea! I was amazed when I saw it in person it’s absolutely gigantic.