Synonyms:

• Nolina longifolia
• Beaucarnea longifolia
• Dasylirion longifolium
• Yucca longifolia

Common names are: Mexican grass tree, Weeping palmita, pony tail palm and zacate or borracho (in spanish).

Habitat:

As most plants from Dasylirion genus, this plant is native of Mexico in the states of Oaxaca and Puebla.

Description:

Dasylirion longifolium is a woody, evergreen plant: it becomes arborescent as it grows bigger, with a big base to its stems. These stems can be from 1 to 3 mt tall. The plant produces long, green pliable leaves.

Cultivation:

Similar (aesthetically) to a palm, this plant is one of the easiest plant to grow indoor as a houseplant. It is possible to grow it outdoor in temperate climate areas. It is a hardy plant that can resist frost (temperatures of -8° C). It is a slow growing plant, but as it is get older, it starts looking like a pony tail palm thanks to its swollen base, that becomes bigger over the years. It can tolerate very drought climate, it grows in full sun exposure to half shade in well drained soil. It has to be watered deeply during summer but infrequently, and during the cold seasons the water must be minimum (over-watering is the most common cause of death).

Propagation:

The propagation of D. Longifolium is usually by seeds, that have to be sown in spring and will germinate when the temperature reaches 20 degrees.

Curiosity:

The name “longifolium” comes from Latin and it means “with long leaves”.