Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
115
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Well Drained
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-116-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 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
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
370.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
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
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove branches, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Birds, Butterflies
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Asthma
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Respiratory Disorders, Soothing and relieving pain
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
Buddha's Hand
Tree
सुई ताड़
In German
Buddhas Hand
Baum
Nadel -Palme
In French
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Mano de Buda
Árbol
palmera aguja
In Greek
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Mão de Buda
Árvore
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
Igła palma
In Latin
Buddha manus
Arbor
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Arecales
Family
Rutaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Citrus
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Corypheae
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
110
1
27800
👆🏻