About Beaucarnea recurvata (K.Koch & Fintelm.) Lem.
Beaucarnea recurvata (K.Koch & Fintelm.) Lem. is an evergreen perennial that grows up to 8 meters (26 feet) tall, with an enormously expanded water-storing caudex. In wild specimens, this caudex can reach up to 14 m (46 ft) in girth. A single palm-like stem produces terminal tufts of strap-shaped, recurved leathery leaves; leaf tips are sometimes shaped like hair locks. Occasional panicles of small white flowers grow on this species once the plant is over 10 years old. The trunk is swollen at the base and becomes slender further up. Young plants are unbranched, and develop full branching as they age. The almost spherical caudex of young plants later becomes broadly conical, staying very wide at the base. Its bark is either smooth or finely cracked. The leaves are green, linear, slightly recurved and bent, thin, and either flat or slightly ridged. They can grow up to 180 cm (71 in) long and up to 2 cm (0.79 in) wide. Its flowers are creamy-white, 1.5 mm in diameter, produced in a dense panicle 90–112 cm (35–44 in) tall. In the wild, Beaucarnea recurvata grows at altitudes between 200 and 900 m (660 to 2,950 ft) above sea level. It grows on nutrient-poor rocky soils, cliffs, and steep mountains, in locations that get either full sun or partial shade. Its native habitat is low deciduous forest, with an average temperature of 20 °C (68 °F), annual rainfall of 800 mm (31 in), and a distinct 7 to 8 month long dry season. These plants grow very slowly and are extremely drought tolerant. This species is not toxic to dogs, cats, or horses. Beaucarnea recurvata has earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is commonly grown as a houseplant, or as an outdoor plant in subtropical climate gardens. It is slow-growing and drought-tolerant, hardy to 10 °C (50 °F), grows in conditions from full sun to light shade, and requires a properly draining soil mix when watered. Overwatering encourages pest infestations by mealybugs and cochineal insects. If grown in regions that experience winter frost, it must be kept as an indoor plant because it cannot tolerate cold temperatures. To preserve its original shape, the ends of its leaves should not be cut, and the plant must retain all of its roots when repotted.
