Is There A Difference Between Pups And Offsets On My Ponytail Palm?

Question

Ok, so I inherited a 30 year old ponytail palm from my mother. I repotted it this spring into a much bigger pot. After a couple months in its new home, it sprouted about 20 offshoots. I was told that these are called pups and they can be propagated into new plants. I was planning on doing that next spring. After doing some research, it seems that pups Sprout at the base of the plant, and often have their own roots? Well, all my offsets are spread out all over the trunk. Some at the very top, some in the middle, and only a very few at the base. I dont see how these can have their own roots…so are these even pups? And can I harvest then for new plants come spring? Or do I just have a bunch of new branches?

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Answer 1

They are branches! Pups will come up from the soil line, rather than on the tree itself.

These will not root so easily, and can leave a nasty infection when you prune them from the plant. It is best to leave them.

Here is an article that will help with the care of this plant:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/ponytail-palm/ponytail-palm-care.htm

Answer 2

Nice. Is it normal for it to shoot out so many branches at once? I just did a re count. There are 16 shoots, but only a handful of those are doing any actual growing.