Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Number of Varieties
151
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-1010-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
12-10
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, 13, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Twisted/Contorted
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Crimson, Copper
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Compound
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Summer, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
occasional watering once established
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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
Pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
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, Deers, Hummingbirds
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
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
BURSERA simaruba
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
Bursera simaruba
In German
Nadel -Palme
Bursera simaruba
In French
palmier aiguille
Bursera simaruba
In Spanish
palmera aguja
Bursera simaruba
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
Bursera simaruba
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
Bursera simaruba
In Polish
Igła palma
Bursera simaruba
In Latin
acus palma
Bursera simaruba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Arecales
Sapindales
Family
Arecaceae
Burseraceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Bursera
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Eudicots
Tribe
Corypheae
-
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
-
Number of Species
1010
1
27800
👆🏻