Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Grass
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Middle Africa
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Perennial Grass
Number of Varieties
1515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-107-11
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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Sandy Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Purple
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Budding, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
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
Clay, 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
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Birds, Flying insects
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Asthma, breathing problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Food for animals, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Elephant Grass
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
हाथी घास
In German
Nadel -Palme
Elefantengras
In French
palmier aiguille
l'herbe à éléphant
In Spanish
palmera aguja
pasto elefante
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
ελέφαντα χόρτο
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
capim-elefante
In Polish
Igła palma
trawa słoniowa
In Latin
acus palma
elephanti herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Arecales
Poales
Family
Arecaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Corypheae
Paniceae
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
101
1
27800
👆🏻