Beaucarnea, Bottle Palm, Variegated Ponytail Palm 'Gold Star'

Had this plant about a year now, and though was concerned it would fry in our hot, 115F+ sunshine, it has performed perfectly, and seems ...Read Moreto be growing exactly as a non-variegated form would- very pleased!! Has nearly doubled in size since I got my rooted cutting, and plant is now about 2' tall overall. I can hardly wait until it's large enough I can take cuttings of it myself. Got it at a local cactus nursery when they had a bunch of them, but haven't seen them for sale since (lucky timing).
Froze in Los Angeles this year (2007), and though this was one of my smaller Beaucarneas, it wasn't my smallest... but it was the only one that got killed completely (AUGH!!)... so maybe this color variation is a bit less cold tolerant than the normal variety. Protect your plant from freezes!

I grow this in pots outdoors. We get only occassional light frosts in my subclimate. It takes very little water yet is very lush and do...Read Moreesn't look at all like a desert plant. It is such a handsome plant that several friends have have gotten their own! I prefer them on the smaller side, 2 to 3 feet, though I have a friend with one in the ground that is quite large, 4 1/2 feet, but it is not as handsome. Perhaps it is a different cultivar - it has a very long stem before the "ponytail" begins. Mine is more attractive with a shorter/stubbier stem. I prefer the small plants with one stem and one "onion like" base.

I also saw several of these plants at hotels in Maui, summer '06.

I received a "bulbette" form a larger plant about a year ago. I planted it in a pot indoors and it did rather well but when I moved it ou...Read Moretside to full sun it really started to grow. It has quadrupled in size in one year. Low water requirements and seems to withstand the hot Texas sun.

This is a U. S. patented plant. The European patent holder reproduces it by tissue culture techniques. The plant holds true to the nor...Read Moremal growth (all green form) habit of Beaucarnea.

All that have been seen to date are images of one another and appear to be from one clone. If the former is true, reproduction from seed, if possible, may only come by way of hybridization with normal growth Beaucarnea specimen.

It is promises to have a bright future and will likely become a featured plant for xeriphytic landscape gardeners for years to come.