Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Vegetable
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-10
-9999
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, 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
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light 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
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Round
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
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 dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
-
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
-
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
भारतीय पालक
In German
Nadel -Palme
Indian Spinat
In French
palmier aiguille
épinards indienne
In Spanish
palmera aguja
espinaca india
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Igła palma
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
acus palma
Spinach Indian
Order
Arecales
Caryophyllales
Family
Arecaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Needle Palm and Indian Spinach
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Needle Palm and Indian Spinach. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Needle Palm and Indian Spinach 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 Indian Spinach is Astringent. Needle Palm has beauty benefits as follows: while Indian Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Needle Palm vs Indian Spinach
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 Indian Spinach 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 Indian Spinach have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Needle Palm has showy fruits and Indian Spinach has showy fruits. Also Needle Palm is not flowering and Indian Spinach is not flowering . You can compare Needle Palm and Indian Spinach facts and facts of other plants too.