I have two Beaucarnea recurvata that I've had for several years. I'm hoping there's something I can do for the larger of the two.

Both go outside during the spring and summer when the weather warms, and come back inside in fall once the temperatures drop. Both overwinter in the same bright stairway with my other outdoor overwintering plants. Plant #1, the smaller of the two, always overwinters quite well. It stops growing, but maintains a fat caudex and has minimal leaf loss. Plant #2 always seems to have a rough go getting through. It goes through a heavy leaf loss. I always have to do a heavy prune to remove the dead leaves and it ends up quite naked.

Here's the two plants:

Plant #1:


Plant #2:


Plant #2 typically perks up once it moves back outside, pushing out plenty of new leaves. Though the past summer it went through a rough patch. Thankfully it perservered.

Question is... is there any particular reason plant #2 might be having such a hard time overwintering compared to plant #1? Anything I can change to help make it easier for it? Both come inside gradually, at the same time in fall. Both are in the same soil mix. Usually watered around the same time (less watering in the winter), and both are on the same landing with the same lighting (large south facing window above them).

Those are beautiful! Since I started watering mine like any other plant, often enough so the soil never dries, I have quit having winter leaf loss. If the air in your house is dry from running the heat during winter, the need for water might not slow during that time even if the plant isn't actually using as much.

Is does get really dry in here. I have poor air circulation in the house as well...

How are your trees doing?

Both fattened up a bit more, but no major differences at this point. I did increase my frequency of watering in hopes the one will improve.

Just hoping the warm weather comes soon so I can move them back outside. Provided the nonstop rain doesn't drench them too much...

No doubt about the weather. After moving mine to a new bigger pot a while back, I quit putting it where it could get rained on. But that did make it a little less perky on the top with only morning sun on my front porch.

I'm not even sure where to put them to protect them from rain. I could squeeze them into my doorway, but they'll be shaded almost all day like that.

Unless I just move them inside and out with the storms like I do with my smaller succulents. Just not the most fun to have to move the bigger ones so much. It rains almost daily here in spring, and usually quite heavy.

I hear that. The struggle is real! And growing trees keep shrinking some of my sunny spots.