Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Mexico
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Cat palm, Date palm, Old Man palm
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Grassland
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
365.76 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long hair-like leaves
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
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
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bugs, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Mites, Spider Mites
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Blurred vision, Diarrhea, Rash, Vomiting
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Air purification
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, Houseplant, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BEAUCARNEA recurvata
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Bottle Palm, Ponytail Palm
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Ponytail Palm
Lignum Vitae
In German
Pferdeschwanz Palm
Lignum Vitae
In French
Ponytail Palm
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Cola de caballo de palma
Palo santo
In Greek
αλογοουρά παλάμη
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
rabo- de palma
pau-santo
In Polish
kucyk palmowy
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
ponytail palmarum
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Vascular plant
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Sapindales
Family
Liliaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Beaucarnea
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nolinoideae
-
Number of Species
103
1
27800
👆🏻