Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southern Africa
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Carissa Carandas
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
415
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-116-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-6
Sunset Zone
H2, 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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval to roundish
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
Slow
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
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
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
Equal amount of N,P,K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
Showy
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
Birds
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Mildly Toxic
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Large Num-Num
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
नेटाल बेर
सुई ताड़
In German
Natal Plum
Nadel -Palme
In French
natal Plum
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Ciruela Natal
palmera aguja
In Greek
Natal Plum
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Natal Plum
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Natal Plum
Igła palma
In Latin
Natal Plum
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Arecales
Family
Apocynaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Carissa
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Carisseae
Corypheae
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
2010
1
27800
👆🏻