Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
India, Nepal, China
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Betula utilis
Number of Varieties
152
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Mountains
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-105-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
7-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Tan, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Cordiform
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Fertilize in early spring, Fertilize in late fall, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Honey fungus, Leaves with brown tip, Phytophthora Root Rot, Powdery mildew, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Dry Conditions, waterlogging, Wet Site
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
-
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Antioxidants, Antiseptic, Carminative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used in construction, Wood is used in construction
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
BETULA utilis
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Himalayan Birch
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
हिमालय सन्टी
In German
Nadel -Palme
Himalaya-Birke
In French
palmier aiguille
bouleau de l'Himalaya
In Spanish
palmera aguja
abedul del Himalaya
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
Himalayan σημύδας
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
bétula Himalaia
In Polish
Igła palma
Himalayan brzoza
In Latin
acus palma
Birch Himalayan
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Fagales
Family
Arecaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Corypheae
-
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
-
Number of Species
1030
1
27800
👆🏻