The ponytail palm (Beaucamea recurvata) is not a true palm, but is a succulent native to the desert of southeastern Mexico. The back of the ponytail palm is thick and tough with an expanding base that gives it the other common names, bottle palm and elephant’s foot. It naturally grows as a small plant that requires little water, and the root system is not extensive so that it can be maintained without repotting for more compared to other bonsai trees. Pruning should be completed in early summer and is a simple task since there are not any branches. Instead there’s only a single cluster on top of the rear which sprouts leaves.
Place the ponytail bonsai at eye level so that you can clearly see the height of the leaf cluster.
Inspect the leaves for insects and diseases. Remove or clean any infestation that is found before pruning the bonsai.
Cut off the top of the leaf cluster with shears in order that the bonsai takes the desired height. This forces new leaves to climb out of the side of the cluster, rather than growing vertically. Do this early in the growing season so that the new foliage has time to develop before the plant goes dormant in winter. Don’t remove all leaf at once since the new top will grow faster than previously, raising the need to prune.
Snip off any brown leaf tips with a diagonal cut, hence the leaves keep the appearance of sharp finish points. The brown edges can be brought on by too much fluid or excessive watering.
Wait until additional leaf rises from the sides of the leaf crowd to cut back fit leaves shorter and shape the ponytail palm. Use diagonal cuts so that the long leaves do not appear to have square tips.