I've been putting some plants outside during the day to get some good sunlight and good ole fresh air. Well, all day Sunday and Monday I was sick (bed-ridden even.) I asked him to put my dear ponytail palm outside to catch some rays on Saturday morning. It stayed outside Saturday night (eek) and then since I was sick Sunday, it stayed outside. We had freezing temperatures Sunday night. I told him to bring it in on Monday afternoon. The older leaves have lost their "cat's tongue" characteristic. However the new growth still feels this way. Is all lost? Has anyone else forgotten to bring something like this in during a early spring freeze? As of right now, I'm just keeping it the same, and hoping for the best. Thanks guys :(
The good news about caudiciform plants like your Beaucarnea (Ponytail Palm) is that the caudex actually provides some degree of thermal stability. Whether the environment is excessively warm or cold, the larger the caudex, the more likely the plant will survive the event. Foliage may be damaged by heat, cold, dehydration, sunburn, etc., however, Beaucarnea are extremely tough and have a strong will to survive. It will likely recover. There are a few of us that have picked "dead" Beaucarnea out of compost and brush piles, as well as, curbside garbage only to have the plant send out new foliage within a few months. The only thing that will definitely kill them is prolonged, excessive watering that triggers rotting of the caudex. No worries. Even if the plant looses some of it's foliage, it will keep sending out new growth and all evidence of the event will be removed within a year or two. Mark
