Identification: Please help to identify this plant!

I just bought this one. I thought it looked neat and I wanted to add it to my collection, but I can't find it in any of my books and I haven't had any luck with the internet. Could anyone tell me what this plant is? Thank you.

 

Looks like Beaucarnea recurvata, Ponytail.

 

Thank you, that really helps alot. I had no idea that they could get so big. Thanks again.

 

Hi. I haven't grown a ponytail but thought their foliage came up from a central "core" then spread out. On the other hand, this photo looks just like my pregnant onion, Ornithogalum caudatum, in the way the leaves grow out across the bulb. Could be wrong, of course. Does your plant look like an onion on steroids? If it has little bulbets by the bulb, it's P.O.!

 

Oh, forgot to mention that the leaves on a well-grown Onion can reach 3' in length. The bulb is usually set high in the soil to avoid rot.

 

I had thought that it might be a pregnant onion, but my plant doesn't have any little bulbets. And it doesn't have the onion like "skin" around the bulb. But it is still a very small plant and I imagine that it could change alot as it grows. Thanks for the info.

 

I agree more likely Pregnant Onion than Ponytail. Maybe its too young to produce bulbets??


Ed

 

pregnant onion!! THAT'S it!! for the life of me, i couldn't remember the name earlier! (so i didn't bother posting anything).

it's the pregnant onion - the growth pattern is different than ponytail palm. it's still a bit small to have bulbets yet. even if it did have any, if they were large enough, they may have been removed to start new plants at the growers.

i'm not sure just how big the p. onion can get...the ponytail palms get VERY large if they're grown outside. 10-12 feet or so. there are some nice pictures here on the forum - if you do a search, you'll be amazed at just how large they can get!

 

Thank you everyone for the info. I was doing some research on both the ponytail and the pregnant onion and I came across some photos of a bonsai ponytail, and my plant looks identical to the bonsai ponytail. And the leaves on mine are very ridgid. I read that PO have very fragile leaves that bend and break easily. But at least it has been narrowed down to 2 possiblities, I now have a better idea what to do with it. I guess only time will tell what it truly is. But thank you again everyone, I really do appreciate all the help.

 

It's not a ponytail. Wikipedia has an image which clearly illustrates the transition from bulb to stem.