Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix)
Profile Information
Scientific name:
Common name: needle palm, porcupine palm
Family: Arecaceae
USDA hardiness zones: 6+
Origin: This palm is native to the southeastern United States. Populations can be found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina.
Needle Palm Description:
 The Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) is a small shrubby fan palm that grows to about 6 feet in height. It produces suckers freely, these multiple stems creating an ever widening rounded clump of indeterminate width. Over time the tightly packed stems will form an impenetrable thicket. The needle palm doesn't form a trunk but instead has a slowly lengthening crown that may grow to about 4 feet long and about 7 inches in diameter. The stems are composed of old leaf bases, fiber and long slender spines. They are usually erect but in older clumps they may lean or grow prostrate along the ground as they compete for light and space. As each stem matures, more slender spines grow from from between the leaf attachments. These "needles" are dark brown or black, very slender and sharp and grow from 4-10 inches long.
Each stem carries about 12 erectly held leaves that are about 4 feet long. The foliage is glossy deep green on top with a dull silvery white underside. The slender petioles (leaf stems) are smooth and are 2-2.5 feet long and 30-36 inches wide. The fan-shaped leaves are deeply indented with each leaflet 1-2 ininches wide and 15-20 inches long. The tip of each leaflet is bluntly squared off.
The needle palm has a tightly compact inflorescence (flower structure) that is about 6-12 inches long and held close to the stem, barely peeping above the leaf bases. Obscured by foliage and fiber and protected by the sharp needles it is often not visible. Tiny yellow to purplish-brown flowers are held on the inflorescence with male and female flowers borne on separate plants.
Needle Palm Culture:
Needle palm prefers fairly moist, well drained soils with lots of organic matter but is very adaptable to less than ideal conditions.
Needle Palm Growth Rate:
Fast
Needle Palm Light requirements:
Needle (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) does best in full to partial shade.
Needle Palm Tree Water requirements:
Moist, well drained but tolerant of dry conditions.
Needle Palms Maintenance:
Low Maintenance
Needle Palm Hardiness:
The Needle Palm is hardy in USDA Zones6 - 10. It is one of the cold hardiest palms and can withstand 0 degrees F.
Needle Palm Tree Insects and Diseases:
Generally healthy palm
Needle Palm Tree Propagation by seed:
Propagated by seed.
Needle Palm Usage:
The needle palm is a perfect, low maintenance plant that makes an excellent specimen plant for small spaces near the patio or entryways. In the shade garden the needle palm provides a rich green backdrop of flowering plants and it blends beautifully with azaleas and camellias in the filtered light under a high canopy of pine. |
