Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
-
Number of Varieties
153
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-104-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
9-1
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
1a, 1b, 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
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, 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
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
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 nigra
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
River Birch
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
River Birch
In German
Nadel -Palme
Fluss Birch
In French
palmier aiguille
Birch river
In Spanish
palmera aguja
river Birch
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
river Birch
In Polish
Igła palma
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
acus palma
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
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
103
1
27800
👆🏻