The ponytail palm is not a palm at all. It is a succulent, and the bulb at its base is a water reservoir it fills up and lives off between drinks. That bulb is what makes it such a natural fit for kokedama: the plant is built to be left alone, and the moss ball lets it dry down the way it wants to.

Above the bulb, thin leaves fan out and arch over, wide enough to fill a corner of a table without taking up any real footprint. It is a plant with movement to it, which is rare in something this low maintenance.

Kokedama means “moss ball” in Japanese, a technique of growing a plant in a bound sphere of soil and moss instead of a container. No pot, no saucer, no drainage hole to work around. Set it on a tray or a dish and it becomes the centerpiece.

Ponytail palms grow slowly and live for decades. This one will outlast most of the furniture you put it on.

Details

• Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
• Live moss ball, hand formed
• Display tray sold separately
• Handmade individually, so ball shape and plant size vary from the photo

Care

• Light: bright light, including several hours of direct sun. This one can take more sun than most kokedama.
• Water: soak 2 to 3 minutes, drain fully, then wait until the ball is bone dry and light in the hand. Roughly every 3 to 4 weeks indoors. Underwatering is much safer than overwatering.
• Never leave it sitting in standing water.
• Temperature: normal indoor range, keep above 50F / 10C.
• Brown leaf tips are normal and can be trimmed at an angle.

Every ball is formed and wrapped by hand, so the jute pattern and the shape of the sphere are unique to your piece. The plant varies too, in size, form, and color. Yours will not look exactly like the photo, and we think that is the best part.