Hello, A few weeks ago, I rescued a pot of beaucarnea recurvata at a hardware store that were looking a little unhappy being so close together (A group of 4). I separated them, and most of them are looking good, except for one that seemed like it was getting overwhelmed by the others. Its caudex is very small and the leaves are growing out at a severe angle. Is there anything I can do to help rehabilitate this little one, or is it always going to be a bit odd? Anything to be done to help it grow a more substantial bottom? I've attached two pictures, one of the one that isn't looking so hot (left), and one of the ones that came out looking good (right), just for comparison. (One other question...the middle on the one on the right is turning red. Is that normal?) Any advice is appreciated! --Claire
The caudex on the little one reminds me of an octopus. I would let it grow and see what happens. This unique specimen might just turn into an interesting conversation piece. The reddish coloration is also on my plant; I would say it's normal.
Hm. I hadn't thought of it like an octopus, but now that you mention it I can see it. It'll be interesting to see where it goes over the years, provided it makes it long enough.
I concur with Junglekeeper (who's much better at houseplants than me). The leaves look fine. I don't recall seeing a Beaucarnea with reddish leaf bases, but because the leaves curl downward, you often don't, or can't, see the leaf bases.
The reddish tinge near the leaf base of B. guatemalensis is supposedly a feature that distinguishes it from B. recurvata.
I think you got it. A quick Google search didn't turn up much on B. guatemalensis, but here's a beautiful page on Beacarneas in Mexico. Those big wild Beaucarnea trees look very much like mature cultivated ones. The photo with a red-trunked Bursera tree is something we could replicate in Florida with Bursera simaruba (gumbo limbo) a widespread and common tropical tree.
