Needle Palm
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Palms Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
The Needle Palm is the most cold-hardy palm in the world, surviving temperatures as low as -20°F (-29°C). Its short, shrubby form is armed with sharp black needles at the base, and it produces dark green fan fronds that add a tropical touch to cold-climate gardens.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Partial shade to full sun (4-6 hrs)
💧
Water
Every 1-2 weeks
💨
Humidity
Moderate (40-60%)
🌡️
Temperature
5-35°C
🪴
Soil
Well-drained loamy to sandy soil; tolerates clay; prefers slightly acidic; pH 5.5-7.0
🧪
Fertilizer
Light application of balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring; avoid over-fertilizing
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Southeastern United States
- 📏 Max height
- 150-240 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 90-150 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Late Spring
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Brown, Purple
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Dark Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Very Slow
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Sharp black needles at leaf bases can cause painful puncture wounds; otherwise non-toxic
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seed germination (slow); division of suckering clumps in spring
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Sharp black needles at leaf bases can cause painful puncture wounds; otherwise non-toxic
Common issues
- Scale insects, Bud rot rarely, Leaf tip burn in severe frost despite cold hardiness
💡 Care tips
- Most cold-hardy palm in the world surviving minus 15°C,Compact shrubby habit rarely exceeds 6 feet tall,Dense clump of dark green fan-shaped fronds,Sharp needle-like projections protect the trunk
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 11 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
