Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Grass
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southeastern United States, California, Caribbean
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Grass
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
115
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
marshes, Swamps, Tropical Climate
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-116-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 9
12-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Habit
Mat-forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Fin-shaped Tufts
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Salt, Soil Compaction
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Plugs, Sod, Sprigs
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Needs small amount of water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Congestion, Itchiness, sneezing
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
-
Leaves
Other Uses
Used in lawns and turf
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Lawns and Turf
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
STENOTAPHRUM secundatum
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Softleaf Buffalo Grass, St. Augustine Grass
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
St. Augustine Grass
सुई ताड़
In German
St. Augustine Grass
Nadel -Palme
In French
St. Augustine Grass
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
St. Augustine Grass
palmera aguja
In Greek
St. Augustine Grass
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
St. Augustine Grass
palmeira agulha
In Polish
St. Augustine Grass
Igła palma
In Latin
St. Augustine Grass
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Arecales
Family
Poaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Stenotaphrum
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Corypheae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
710
1
27800
👆🏻