Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Herbs
Origin
United States, Southeastern United States
Europe, Asia
Types
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Thodopuza, Red streaked, Alleppey
Number of Varieties
1530
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
Loamy soils, Tropical Forests, Tropical regions, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-107-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
9-1
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm50.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm100.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Green, Light Green, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Tan, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Long Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs small amount of water
Keep ground moist, 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
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
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
Cut back old stems to the ground, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Compost, Fertilize the soil before planting, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Leaf Hoppers, Mites, Scale, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Frost
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Rabbits, Small mammals
Aphids, Caterpillar, Mites, Rabbits, Snails
Allergy
drowsiness, Scratches
Abdominal distension, Blurred vision, Oral Allergy
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Blood purifying, Making cosmetics, Natural Sunscreen, Remove blemishes, Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Fixes Nitrogen, Prevent weeds, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Frostbite
Abdominal Disease, Acne, Alzheimer’s Disease, Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Atherosclerosis, Brain disease, Carminative, Cold, Diarrhea, Digestion problems, Eczema, Liver problems, Menstrual Cramps, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms, Treatment of ulcers, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Used as an ointment, Used as colouring in foods, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Alpine, Cutflower, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Curcuma longa
Common Name
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
Turmeric, Curcuma
In Hindi
सुई ताड़
हल्दी
In German
Nadel -Palme
Kurkuma
In French
palmier aiguille
curcuma
In Spanish
palmera aguja
Curcuma longa
In Greek
βελόνα φοίνικα
κουρκούμη
In Portuguese
palmeira agulha
curcuma
In Polish
Igła palma
kurkuma
In Latin
acus palma
turmeric
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Arecales
Zingiberales
Family
Arecaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Rhapidophyllum
Curcuma
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Corypheae
Zingibereae
Subfamily
Coryphoideae
Zingiberoideae
Number of Species
10100
1
27800
👆🏻