Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Middle Africa
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Perennial Grass
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-10
7-11
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
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
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Long Linear
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
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 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 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
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Birds, Flying insects
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Asthma, breathing problems
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
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
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
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
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Panicoideae
Importance of Needle Palm and Elephant Grass
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Needle Palm and Elephant Grass. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Needle Palm and Elephant Grass as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Needle Palm is Aging and Frostbite whereas of Elephant Grass is Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders and Wounds. Needle Palm has beauty benefits as follows: while Elephant Grass has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Needle Palm vs Elephant Grass
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Needle Palm vs Elephant Grass and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Needle Palm are drowsiness and Scratches whereas of Elephant Grass have Asthma and breathing problems respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Needle Palm has showy fruits and Elephant Grass has no showy fruits. Also Needle Palm is not flowering and Elephant Grass is not flowering . You can compare Needle Palm and Elephant Grass facts and facts of other plants too.