Needle palm

Shrub

Rhapidophyllum hystrix

Needle palm

Possibly the hardiest palm in the world: a slow, shrubby clump of glossy fan leaves guarded by long black needles.

  • Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade
  • 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft)
  • 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft)
  • H6 · Zone 6
  • Evergreen

Overview

Needle palm is a slow, clump-forming palm from swampy forests of the south-eastern USA. It makes a low mound of glossy, deep green fan leaves, silvery beneath, with long black needles hidden around the base. Flowers and fuzzy reddish fruits are mostly hidden among the spines.

It is hardy to about −20°C (−4°F), USDA zones 6b–10. It grows best where summers are hot and humid but survives in cool climates, just more slowly.

Grow in sun or shade, ideally part shade, in rich moist soil; it tolerates wet ground and, once established, drought.

At a Glance

Sun Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Height 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft)
Spread 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft)
Hardiness H6 · Zone 6
Soil Chalk, Loam, Sand
Moisture Moist well drained
Habit Clumping, Rounded
Water Moderate
Maintenance Easy

Growing Conditions

Min. Temperature -20°C (-4°F)
pH Range 5.5–8
Fertility Fertile
Drainage Moderate

Aspect Suitability

  • North-facing
  • East-facing
  • South-facing
  • West-facing

Site Tolerance

  • Drought
  • Wet soil

Soil Tolerance

  • Chalk
  • Sandy
  • Loam
  • Acid
  • Neutral pH
  • Alkaline

Foliage

Persistence Evergreen
Colour Dark green
Leaf shape / texture palmate_fan
  • Architectural foliage

Foliage interest: 12 months of the year

Seasonal Timeline

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Foliage
Propagate
  • Foliage 12 months of the year
  • Propagate Apr May

How to propagate

Ways to grow more Needle palm: the usual steps for each method.

From seed Apr–May Easy
  • Needs light to germinate: press onto the surface, don't cover
  • Soak in warm water for 48 hours before sowing
  • Germinates best at about 25°C
  • Comes up in 90–365 days
  • Prick out about 10 weeks after sowing
  • Pot on about 30 weeks after sowing
  • Very slow and erratic.

You'll need: Seed compost, a seed tray or small pots, labels, and a clear lid or plastic bag.

  1. Fill a tray or pots with seed compost, level it and firm it gently.
  2. Water the compost and let it drain.
  3. Sow the seeds thinly on top. Cover them with a fine layer of compost or vermiculite about as deep as the seed is big; leave tiny seeds uncovered.
  4. Label them, cover with a clear lid or bag, and keep them somewhere bright but out of hot sun.
  5. Keep the compost just moist, and take the cover off once seedlings appear.
How long
Usually comes up in 1 to 3 weeks.
It's worked when
Seedlings with their first pair of leaves.
Then
When each has its first true leaves, prick them out into their own small pots, holding them by a leaf, never the stem. Harden them off for a week or two before planting out.
Offsets, runners and bulblets Apr Easy

You'll need: A trowel, small pots and compost.

  1. Find the small plants, offsets or bulblets growing beside the parent plant, or on its runners.
  2. Gently separate them with some roots, cutting any runner from the parent.
  3. Pot them up, or replant them at the same depth, and water.
How long
Grows on within a few weeks.
It's worked when
New leaves on the young plants.
Then
Grow them on until they're a good size before planting out.

Seed is slow, taking up to a year; dividing suckers is possible but hazardous because of the spines.

Garden Design

Works well in: Tropical / Exotic, Woodland / Shade

One of the world's hardiest palms: a shrubby clump of glossy fans, silvery beneath, for a jungle look in cold gardens.

Companion planting: Ferns, Aspidistras, Fatsias, Sabals

Wildlife Value

  • Shelter