Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Southern Africa
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Carissa Carandas
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-10
9-11
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, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Oval to roundish
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
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, 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
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
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
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
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
Birds
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Mildly Toxic
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
नेटाल बेर
In German
Nadel -Palme
Natal Plum
In French
palmier aiguille
natal Plum
In Spanish
palmera aguja
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
Natal Plum
In Polish
Igła palma
Natal Plum
In Latin
acus palma
Natal Plum
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Gentianales
Family
Arecaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Corypheae
Carisseae
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Rauvolfioideae
Importance of Needle Palm and Natal Plum
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Needle Palm and Natal Plum. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Needle Palm and Natal Plum 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 Natal Plum is Iron, Potassium and Vitamin C. Needle Palm has beauty benefits as follows: while Natal Plum has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Needle Palm vs Natal Plum
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 Natal Plum 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 Natal Plum have Mildly Toxic respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Needle Palm has showy fruits and Natal Plum has showy fruits. Also Needle Palm is not flowering and Natal Plum is not flowering . You can compare Needle Palm and Natal Plum facts and facts of other plants too.