Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
-
Number of Varieties
153
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-1010-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
12-9
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
H2, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm1,520.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Maple 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
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Very Fast
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
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Water daily during growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
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
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
Aphids, Insects
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
For treating wrinkles, Moisturizing, used as a dye
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Cramps, Dermatitis
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Sauces, Used as firewood
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
ALEURITES moluccanus
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
Aleurites moluccanus
In German
Nadel -Palme
Lichtnussbaum
In French
palmier aiguille
Aleurites moluccana
In Spanish
palmera aguja
Aleurites moluccanus
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
Aleurites moluccanus
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
Nogueira-de-iguape
In Polish
Igła palma
Nogueira-de-iguape
In Latin
acus palma
Aleurites moluccanus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Euphorbiales
Family
Arecaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Aleurites
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Corypheae
Aleuritideae
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Crotonoideae
Number of Species
1050
1
27800
👆🏻