Life Span
Perennial
Biennial or Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Vegetable
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Europe
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Leaf beet, Seakettle beet, Spinach beet
Number of Varieties
156
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-104-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
12-1
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
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 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
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Red, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full 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
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
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
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
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
Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Cercospora leaf spot, Damping off, Darkling beetles, Downy mildew
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Insects
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
dark circles, Diarrhea, Runny nose, Vomiting, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
Moisturizing, Remove blemishes, Slow downs aging, Speed hair growth
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Antitumor, Carminative, Haemostatic, Stomachic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Cultivated for fodder, Eaten as a pot herb, Used to make juice
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
BETA vulgaris ssp. cicla
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Swiss Chard
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
Swiss Chard
In German
Nadel -Palme
Swiss Chard
In French
palmier aiguille
Chard suisse
In Spanish
palmera aguja
Acelgas
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
Σέσκουλο
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
Acelga suíça
In Polish
Igła palma
Boćwina
In Latin
acus palma
Swiss Chard
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Arecales
Caryophyllales
Family
Arecaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Beta
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Corypheae
Cyclolobeae
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Betoideae
Number of Species
103
1
27800
👆🏻