Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm)
Botanical Information
| Family | Arecaceae |
| Genus | Rhapidophyllum |
| Species | hystrix |
| Category | Tropicals, Woody |
| Type | Shrub (evergreen) |
| Origin | Southeastern North America. |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 6b - 10 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | 7 |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H7 - H2 |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Height | 90 - 200 cm |
| Spread | 120 - 250 cm |
| Growth | Slow |
| Flowering Period | June, July |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | A shrubby, clumping, nearly trunkless palm. |
| Landscape | Works well in a container or in the landscape, on of the few palms that can be grown in our USDA zone 5 gardens. More of a novelty than a worth while garden plant in this zone. |
| Propagation | Propagate from suckers or from seed. |
| Cultivation | Grow in organically rich, evenly moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best performance is in part-shade. |
| Notable Specimens | Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America. |
| Habitat | Moist to wet woodlands, slopes, ravines and stream bottomland in the southeastern United States of America, (South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi). |
| Leaf Description | Large, palmate, glossy evergreen green leaves that grow on long upright petioles to 70 cm long. Each deeply divided leaf is fan-shaped with 5-12 narrow segments. |
| Flower Description | Three-petaled, yellow-brown flowers in small dense clusters bloom among the leaf sheaths. Flowers are usually hidden by the foliage. |
| Fruit Description | Fruit is a reddish brown drupe. |
Photographs
A plant growing in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada.
A plant growing in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada.
Rhapidophyllum hystrix, form, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America.
Rhapidophyllum hystrix, leaf, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida, United States of America.