Several months ago, I noticed a tree in the rear of my property had no foliage. New leaves have emerged and the tree is lush again. Is this tree deciduous? Can you identify it from the photograph? – Renee Wurtzel, Boynton Beach

The tree is a mahogany, the same one mahogany furniture comes from. It is native to South Florida and is considered evergreen. Like most evergreens here, it drops its leaves briefly in the spring before the new foliage comes out. The excessive drought may have caused some evergreen trees to be bare longer than normal. Deciduous plants, such as poinciana, drop their leaves by December and are usually bare until May, when they start blooming again.

Can you tell me what is wrong with my dracaena marginata? The new growth has brown spots and is somewhat curly and pale. – Donald Roth, Delray Beach

It looks like your dracaena has fungal spots and stunted growth. Water in the morning to avoid fungal problems. You could spray with Daconil and repeat treatment in 10 days. Fertilize in March, June and October with palm fertilizer to encourage new growth.

I have a 7-foot ponytail growing in my backyard. It has small ponytails growing from the trunk. One is 10 inches long. Should I cut these off, or is it possible to start new plants from them? What is the procedure? – Carl Miller, Fort Lauderdale

The plant can be propagated by cuttings if taken very carefully. Cut with a sterilized knife between the mother plant and the offshoot. See if the baby has roots showing before you make the cut. If the roots show, make the cut and plant the shoot in a clay pot with a cactus soil mix. Some people leave the shoots on the plant. They do make the plant look more interesting.

We have a problem with too many squirrels in our yard. Is there anything we can do to discourage them? – Allan Rosenfeld, Coconut Creek

Squirrels usually like an environment that offers cover. Trees and dense shrubbery give them places to hide from predators. Trim back some of your bushes and prune the trees so they are more open and provide less cover. Check for possible food sources, like bird seed or pet food, outside that might attract them.

Write Robert Haehle, Home & Garden section, Sun Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293 or e-mail . Must include full name, address and phone number. Sorry, no personal replies. Photo required for plant identification and they cannot be returned.