Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Mexico
Types
Guaiacum officinale
Cat palm, Date palm, Old Man palm
Number of Varieties
31
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
gardens, Grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1512-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
H1, H2, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm365.76 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Long hair-like leaves
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Consistently
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Fertilize three times a year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Bugs, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Mites, Spider Mites
Allergy
Skin irritation
Blurred vision, Diarrhea, Rash, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
-
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Tropical
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
BEAUCARNEA recurvata
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Bottle Palm, Ponytail Palm
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Ponytail Palm
In German
Lignum Vitae
Pferdeschwanz Palm
In French
Lignum Vitae
Ponytail Palm
In Spanish
Palo santo
Cola de caballo de palma
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
αλογοουρά παλάμη
In Portuguese
pau-santo
rabo- de palma
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
kucyk palmowy
In Latin
lignum Vitae
ponytail palmarum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Asparagales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Beaucarnea
Clade
-
Angiosperms
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
310
1
27800
👆🏻