Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Palm or Cycad
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Caribbean
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Wild sago
Number of Varieties
153
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Loamy soils, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-108-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
12-8
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, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Red
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
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
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, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Mealybugs
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
-
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
ZAMIA pumila
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Coontie
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
Coontie
In German
Nadel -Palme
Coontie
In French
palmier aiguille
coontie
In Spanish
palmera aguja
coontie
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
Coontie
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
Coontie
In Polish
Igła palma
Coontie
In Latin
acus palma
Coontie
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Cycadophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Cycadopsida
Order
Arecales
Cycadales
Family
Arecaceae
Zamiaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Zamia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
-
Tribe
Corypheae
Zamieae
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Zamioideae
Number of Species
1027
1
27800
👆🏻