Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Vegetable
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Mexico, Central America, South America
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Plum Tomato, Serbian Tomato, Stupice Tomato
Number of Varieties
1510
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-1011-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
12-1
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 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
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm182.88 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Red, Rose, Coral
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Bell Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove short twigs, Remove tight V-branching crotches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Apply 5-10-5 amounts
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Butterflies
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Abdominal pain, Dermatitis, Oral Allergy, Rhinitis, Urticaria
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Antirheumatic, Cardiac, Homeopathy, Odontalgic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Cosmetics, For making oil, Repellent, Used as an insecticide
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
LYCOPERSICON esculentum 'Soldacki'
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Tomato
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
बीफस्टीक टमाटर
पौधा
In German
Nadel -Palme
Beefsteaktomate
Pflanze
In French
palmier aiguille
tomate beefsteak
Plante
In Spanish
palmera aguja
Bistec de tomate
Planta
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
μπριζόλα Ντομάτα
Φυτό
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
tomate Redondo Vermelho
Plantar
In Polish
Igła palma
befsztyk pomidorowy
Roślina
In Latin
acus palma
Nullam beefsteak
planta
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Solanales
Family
Arecaceae
Solanaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Solanum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Corypheae
-
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
-
Number of Species
1020000
1
27800
👆🏻