BEAUCARNEA
BEUCARNEA
In recent years, this plant has become popular as an indoor ornamental plant in Europe and America. However, it is naturally a desert plant, and some species can reach heights of 10–15 meters.
These are tree-form plants with woody trunks. Due to the difficulty of their scientific name, they are commonly known in the trade as “Nolina.” In fact, Nolina is the genus name of another group of similar plants.Their leaves are long and have very small teeth along the margins, which can be felt when the edges of the leaves are touched with the fingertips. In nature, they are found only in Mexico and Guatemala. The lower part of the trunk develops a swollen base of varying size depending on the species. This swelling is more pronounced in plants growing in arid environments, where it serves as a water-storage structure.The plants are either male or female, with separate sexes occurring on different individuals.
BEUCARNEA RECURVATA
Beaucarnea is one of the most attractive and widely used species for indoor cultivation. As it can tolerate temperatures down to -4°C, it can easily be grown outdoors in sheltered locations along the Mediterranean coastal region.In recent years, it has been introduced into Türkiye through imports and has become a popular indoor plant. However, its use as an outdoor landscape plant has remained quite limited.Highly resistant to drought, this plant can reach heights of 8–15 meters in its natural habitat. The lower part of the trunk expands significantly, sometimes reaching a diameter of 200–300 cm, forming a distinctive swollen base that serves as a water-storage structure.
BEUCARNEA STRİCTA
This species is called “stricta” because of its upright leaves. Due to its bluish leaf color, it is also known as the “Blue Beaucarnea.” In its natural habitat, this plant can reach a height of 4–8 meters. The swollen base of the trunk does not expand as much as in Beaucarnea recurvata, generally remaining between 80–200 cm in diameter. It is slightly more cold-tolerant than the species described above, but its growth rate is slower.
The first successful propagation of this species in Turkey was carried out by the Palm Center.
Beaucarnea guatemalensis and Beaucarnea longifolia were also first propagated in Turkey by the Palm Center. B. guatemalensis is very similar to B. recurvata, but reaches a height of 6–11 meters, with a trunk base width of 100–150 cm. As its name suggests, B. longifolia is a species characterized by its very long leaves.
