Ponytail Palm soft base

The swollen trunk stores water and is normally firm. A sunken, wet-soft area with dark tissue or a sour smell is a rot warning; a little surface wrinkling alone is less specific.

Find what is still sound

Remove the plant from wet mix and inspect roots and the base. Trim only clearly dead roots and preserve a firm base if possible. If the storage base is collapsing through its center, recovery is unlikely; a detached leaf cannot restart the plant.

Dispose of a fully rotten plant and its mix, then clean the container. For a plant with a sound base, follow the root rot guide and use a pot with drainage.