Rhapidophyllum hystrix

Rhapidophyllum (rahp-ih-DOH-fee-luhm) hystrix (HISS-triks)
Photo: USDA.com
Scientific Classification
Genus: Rhapidophyllum (rahp-ih-DOH-fee-luhm) Species: hystrix (HISS-triks)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
Morphology
Habit: clustering Leaf type: Costapalmate Height: 1-1.2 m
Culture
Sun exposure: part to full sun
Survivability index
Common names
Needle Palm, Blue palmetto

Habitat and Distribution

Native to southeastern United States, central Florida to Georgia,

Bowie, MD. This palm has withstood temperatures down to -8.4F. Photo by Tom Walters.

Mississippi, South Carolina and Alabama.

Description

A palmate palm with a short, dense clustered base eventually to 1-1.2 m tall, covered in dense long needle-like spines from the leaf bases. Editing by edric.

Old specimens have a rounded crown up to 3 m tall, of dark green palmate leaves 1-2 m long, with 8-16 leaflets, these 60-80 cm long, arranged in an open fan at the end of a 60-120 cm petiole.

The species is dioecious, with separate male and female trees. The fruit is dark brown when ripe, oval, about 2 cm long, with a single seed. They are produced on densely branched panicles.

Needle palm is a shrubby, clustering (soboliferous), nearly trunkless, fan palm that grows to 3-6’ tall and as wide. It is native to moist to wet woodlands, slopes, ravines and stream bottomland in the southeastern U. S. (South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi). It is one of the hardiest if not the hardiest of the palms. It is noted for its large, palmate, glossy green leaves that grow on long upright petioles (to 30” long). Each deeply divided leaf (almost to the base) is fan-shaped (to 30 inches across) with 5-12 narrow segments (each to 20” long). Leaves are evergreen. Genus name is from Greek meaning sharp (rhapis) and leaf (phylum). The specific epithet (from Greek meaning porcupine) and the common name of needle palm are both in reference to the long, stiff, sharply-pointed, needle-like, black spines (to 6” long) that project from the leaf sheaths. Spines make the clumps impenetrable to most wildlife. Three-petaled, yellow-brown flowers in small dense clusters bloom in early summer among the leaf sheaths. Flowers are usually hidden by the foliage. Fruit is a reddish brown drupe. (missouribotanicalgarden.org)

Culture

Rhapidophyllum hystrix is likely the hardiest palm known, tolerating winter temperatures down to about -20°C but unlike Trachycarpus fortunei, the hardiest large trunk-forming palm, it demands a hot summer continental climate with long periods over 30°C. Winter temperatures below -20°C will cut this palm to the ground, but as it is a suckering palm, it may come back from freezes that kill the foliage. The length of the freeze is important, though, and any prolonged freeze that low will freeze the soil will kill the palm.

Needle palm is noted for its excellent winter hardiness. In a protected location, it is considered to be winter hardy to USDA Zone 6b. It is typically grown in organically rich, evenly moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best performance is in part-shade. Site in protected locations that are sheltered from winter winds. Mature plants will often survive some winter temperatures to -5 degrees F. Mulch around the base of the plant in winter. Plants will sucker along the stems, sometimes profusely, to form dense clumps. Propagate from suckers or from seed.

In the eastern United States, successful outdoor cultivation has been reported as far north as New York.

The needle palm is quite cold hardy to zero degrees F. This palm produces 4-10" spines on the trunk. It does not have a typical palm trunk but the crown elongates and produces a big crown of fan-shaped fronds and become thicketlike where conditions are favorable. Suckering is common around the base of a well established specimen. This palm tolerates a wide range of growing conditions related to soils and light exposure. (onlineplantguide.com)

Because of its need for hot summers, cultivation in more northern areas like most of Europe, and the Pacific Northwest of North America, has not been successful even where winters are mild.

This shrubby, trunkless palm's moniker comes from the vicious needles arising from the fiber at the bases of the leaves. It is probably the cold-hardiest palm and has reportedly survived temperatures as low as -20°F. The needle palm prefers a moist position in sun or shade, but generally requires more sun as latitude increases. They look best, however, when situated in partial shade. When grown in full sun the crown tends to become rather compact and the leaves lose their dark green color. Native to the southeastern US, it is found growing wild from the southern tip of South Carolina to central Florida, and west to southern Mississippi in wooded, swampy areas. Unfortunately, due to habitat distruction and collection of wild specimens coupled with a seed germination time of up to two years and an extremely slow growth rate, this palm is becoming quite rare. (T.J. Walters)

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: The specific epithet from the latin, literally; 'porcupine'

This is a monotypic genus.