---
title: "A neighbor “gifted” me these plants. One is a ponytail palm. The…"
description: "A neighbor “gifted” me these plants. One is a ponytail palm. The other MAY be some kind of orchid. My plan is to plant the ponytail palm in a much larger…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/bWlsCb1aljpzgGNg77a3k7"
community: "Pests, diseases and problems"
author: "LC"
published: "2026-09-28T00:21:23.155919Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/OM0kZpTEQ-Yp76UtAc9P7V_1YghvUxGhVccqti-KoH8/4KUQB2IITUu1g6LMJmTDbA.webp?size=large"
---

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# A neighbor “gifted” me these plants. One is a ponytail palm. The…

_Posted by LC on 2026-09-28_

A neighbor “gifted” me these plants. One is a ponytail palm. The other MAY be some kind of orchid. My plan is to plant the ponytail palm in a much larger container because I think that’s part of the issue but if there’s any other advice on how to bring this thing back to life any and all suggestions are welcome. If the other plant is in fact, some sort of orchid, I’ll also repot that with orchid, bark and parallel, and just a bit of soil… If someone has a better idea as to what this plant might be again, any ideas are welcome.

![Attachment 1 of 3](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/OM0kZpTEQ-Yp76UtAc9P7V_1YghvUxGhVccqti-KoH8/4KUQB2IITUu1g6LMJmTDbA.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 2 of 3](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/OM0kZpTEQ-Yp76UtAc9P7V_1YghvUxGhVccqti-KoH8/UKD0fpZBTC2KjZ3zAqun0g.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 3 of 3](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/OM0kZpTEQ-Yp76UtAc9P7V_1YghvUxGhVccqti-KoH8/e9oU0650Q2K0OvnEzpNRFg.webp?size=large)

## 3 comments

### LeafyGreenhouse commented on 2026-09-28

For the ponytail palm  
Don’t put it in a larger pot, most likely it barely has any roots but you can check to make sure. It looks like it could have had root rot so I would check that too. I would cut off all the dead leaves to

### Waspinator commented on 2026-09-28

The orchid is some sort of dendrobium for sure. If you get a good picture of any remaining leaves I can tell you whether it's an evergreen or deciduous type. Dendrobiums are not fond of repotting, so be very gentle while transitioning it to bark (it'll likely try to grow new roots for the new medium and may let the old ones die, so it'll need good care for about 4 months while it makes the change.) I'd recommend taking it to a local orchid society meeting or show for advice; they can help you with more specific advice and help you clean up any dead canes. (Old canes can look dead but still bloom, so you want to keep them unless you're certain they're dead)

### LC commented on 2026-09-28

Here is a closer picture of the leaves. Thank you!

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/OM0kZpTEQ-Yp76UtAc9P7V_1YghvUxGhVccqti-KoH8/LTm1AOt3RTq_wOpyeIFccQ.webp?size=large)

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