Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Fruit
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Southeastern Asia
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Starfruit
Number of Varieties
152
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-1010-14
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
11-5
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
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Pink, Rose, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Oblovate
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
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Frost
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
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
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Fertilize every year
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Kidney Stone
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
AVERRHOA carambola
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Carambola, Starfruit
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
carambola पेड़
In German
Nadel -Palme
Sternfrucht Baum
In French
palmier aiguille
arbre carambole
In Spanish
palmera aguja
árbol de carambola
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
carambola δέντρο
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
árvore de carambola
In Polish
Igła palma
karambola drzewo
In Latin
acus palma
carambola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Oxalidales
Family
Arecaceae
Oxalidaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Averrhoa
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Corypheae
-
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
-
Number of Species
10180
1
27800
👆🏻