Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Number of Varieties
1520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-109-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
12-9
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
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm17.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Green, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Butterfly shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, 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 branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Birds
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Carminative, Laxative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
BAUHINIA purpurea
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
Butterfly tree
In German
Nadel -Palme
Schmetterlings- Baum
In French
palmier aiguille
arbre de papillon
In Spanish
palmera aguja
árbol de la mariposa
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
δέντρο πεταλούδα
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
árvore borboleta
In Polish
Igła palma
drzewo Butterfly
In Latin
acus palma
Gloria ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Fabales
Family
Arecaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Bauhinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Corypheae
Cercideae
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Caesalpinioideae
Number of Species
10500
1
27800
👆🏻