needle palm
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
USDA zones6 to 10
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size3 to 6 feet tall4 to 8 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- White
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green, white
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) is a shrub for specimen, accent, foundation, and container use. It is hardy to USDA zone 6, or down to -10°F (-23°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to moist soil of most types. It grows slowly and adapts well, and it has handled parking lot conditions. The leaf sheaths carry long, stiff, sharp spines, so plant it away from paths. Red fruit follows a short, dense flower cluster.
Pairs well with Sago palm, European fan palm, and Oakleaf hydrangea.
Native range
AL, FL, GA, MS, and 1 more places. See all 5
AL, FL, GA, MS, and SC.