Beaucarnea pliabilis (Mexican Ponytail)

Native from southern Mexico through Guatemala to Belize, this succulent tree grows in seasonally dry tropical forests. Its trunk has a greatly swollen base, with slender branches supporting tufts of narrow, flexible leaves. Mature plants produce large, loosely branching inflorescences with numerous small pale flowers. The trunk’s expanded base and fountain-like foliage account for common names such as elephant’s foot and Mexican ponytail. It is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Photographed in Colombia.