Plant Witchery: Discover the Sacred Language, Wisdom, and Magic of 200 Plants - Juliet Diaz 2020

Ponytail Palm Beaucarnea recurvata
A Compendium of Plants

ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES

balance, psychic ability, happiness

Ponytail palms, also sometimes called elephant’s-foot, are native to several parts of eastern Mexico. They are easy to care for and nontoxic (though your cat will probably want to chew on their leaves). Despite her name and appearance, the ponytail palm is not a true palm. She makes a wonderful houseplant, and will remain small indoors; but in the wild she can grow to 30 feet tall and can live for centuries. Her leaves grow in a rosette out of the top of her trunk or the ends of her branches, cascading beautifully, like a willow tree or a fountain.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

This plant has no known medicinal properties.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES

Ponytail palm plants are feng shui favorites for good reason—they represent an inner balance of yin and yang energy. Balance is something we all strive for in our lives, and she will be your guide. You can grow your ponytail palm outdoors during the summer, and then bring her indoors for winter, and she will thrive. She knows how to survive in both the light and the shadow, and this makes her powerful. I love to keep her on my worktable, in my sacred space—really in all the places I want to ensure a balanced energy flow.

PLANT WISDOM

However, when I’m doing serious work with a deadline, I take her off my work desk. Ponytail palm also taps into your free spirit, and when I’m tapped into my free spirit, I’m not worried about anything—I’m stress-free and happy to move at a slower pace. Which is great . . . except when you’re on a deadline! So it’s best to keep her in places like the living room to help the family wind down at the end of the day. If you’re having trouble releasing stress and just want to feel free and wild, work with ponytail palm. She brings out the wild child, the free spirit within us all—and with that comes joy, a cheerful energy that we all deserve to have in our lives. Work with her for a few weeks before inviting her into your dreams, but once she comes she will help open your psychic capabilities.