Life Span
Biennial or Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Europe
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Leaf beet, Seakettle beet, Spinach beet
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
615
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-86-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-6
Sunset Zone
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
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
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Needs small amount of water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Cercospora leaf spot, Damping off, Darkling beetles, Downy mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
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
Insects
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
dark circles, Diarrhea, Runny nose, Vomiting, wheezing
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
Moisturizing, Remove blemishes, Slow downs aging, Speed hair growth
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antitumor, Carminative, Haemostatic, Stomachic, Tonic
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Leaves
Other Uses
Cultivated for fodder, Eaten as a pot herb, Used to make juice
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETA vulgaris ssp. cicla
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Swiss Chard
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
Swiss Chard
सुई ताड़
In German
Swiss Chard
Nadel -Palme
In French
Chard suisse
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Acelgas
palmera aguja
In Greek
Σέσκουλο
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Acelga suíça
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Boćwina
Igła palma
In Latin
Swiss Chard
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Arecales
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Beta
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Cyclolobeae
Corypheae
Subfamily
Betoideae
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
310
1
27800
👆🏻