Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Perennial
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Nolina microcarpa, Nolina texana
Number of Varieties
1530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Desert, Foot Hills, High elevation, Upland, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
12-5
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
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm152.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm121.92 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
White, Green
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
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Average Water Needs, Water once every two or three weeks
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Drought
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
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Butterflies
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Anxiety, Depression, High blood cholestrol, High blood pressure, Pain, Stress
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Erosion control, Food for animals, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Animal Feed
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
NOLINA microcarpa
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Sacahuista, Palmilla
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
Bear Grass
In German
Nadel -Palme
Bärn-Gras
In French
palmier aiguille
ours Herbe
In Spanish
palmera aguja
Hierba de oso
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
αρκούδα Grass
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
bear Grass
In Polish
Igła palma
miś Trawa
In Latin
acus palma
herbas ferunt
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Arecales
Liliales
Family
Arecaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Nolina Michx
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Corypheae
-
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
10500
1
27800
👆🏻