Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Fruit
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Mexico, Central America
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Male Papaya Tree, Female Papaya Tree, hermaphrodite Tree
Number of Varieties
1520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
tropical environments, Tropical regions
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, 21, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm7.62 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Green, Orange, Light Yellow
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
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Do not water frequently, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
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, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove shoots, Remove short branches, Remove short twigs, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Ants, Bees, Hummingbirds
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Asthma, breathing problems, Itchiness, Itchy eyes, Red eyes, Runny nose, sneezing, Sore eyes, Swelling, Watery eyes, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Good for skin and hair, Improve hair condition, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Asthma, Bone strength, Cancer, Diabetes, Digestion problems, Heart problems, Inflammation, Skin Disorders
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Cosmetics, Making Shampoo, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
CARICA papaya
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Papaya
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
पपीता
In German
Nadel -Palme
Papaya
In French
palmier aiguille
Papaye
In Spanish
palmera aguja
Papaya
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
Παπάγια
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
Mamão
In Polish
Igła palma
Papaja
In Latin
acus palma
Papaya
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Brassicales
Family
Arecaceae
Caricaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Carica
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Corypheae
-
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
-
Number of Species
1030
1
27800
👆🏻