Needle Palm Tree
The Needle Palm Tree, scientific name Rhapidophyllum hystrix or Rhapidophylum hystrix, is one of the most cold hardiest palm trees that can tolerate cold down to -5F. It is a great palm for landscape in USDA zones 5-11. The Needle Palm is also known as Porcupine Palm. It is native to the southeastern United States.
Growth Rate: Slow
Height: up to 7 – 10ft
Light Req: full sun to partial shade
Water Req: moderate
Cold Tolerance: down to -5F
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Needle Palm Description
Rhapidophyllum hystrix is a small shrubby fan palm that can grows up to 7-10 ft tall and probably as wide. It doesn’t form a trunk, instead has stems growing very tightly together from a single base. Stems are slender, about 6-7 inches in diameter.
Leaves are palmate, or fan-shaped, deep green color, about 2ft long and 4ft wide. About 10-13 leaves grow on smooth petioles 2-3ft long, covered with fiber and numerous sharp needle-like spines produced between the leaves. Fiber husk protects the palm from cold winter weather conditions. Spines grow to about 3-4 inches long, very slender, range in color from dark brown to black. They protect the stem growing point from browsing animals. Each leaf has about 10-16 leaflets 18 inches long and 2 inches wide, with square tips.
In spring or early summer, the Needle Palm produces small yellow to brownish flowers that grow in clusters at the top of the short inflorescence. The Needle Palm is dioecious, male and female flowers are born on separate plants. Flowers are followed by fleshy drupes. Fruits are oblong, fuzzy, reddish brown, about 1 inch in diameter. They grow close to the petiole surrounded by fiber and sharp needles.
For more photos click here Needle Palm Pictures.
Growing Needle Palm Tree
It is very slow growing palm. The Needle Palm needs moderate watering but is very tough in a drought conditions after establishing. Needle Palm is extremely hardy and can tolerate cold down to -5F.
If you don’t live in the warm climate and still want to have beautiful palm trees in you backyard, get this book - “Betrock’s Cold Hardy Palms.” It has comprehensive profiles with photos for 82 palm species, capable of growing in climates colder than USDA Hardiness Zone 10.
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Needle Palm Propagation
Propagated by seeds.
Buy Needle Palm Tree Today
We don’t sell palm trees on this site, but you can buy it from one of my favorite sites – Real Palm Trees.com. It has beautiful palm trees at discounted prices and offers a Free Shipping. This is one of the few sites that I trust, because each palm tree comes with Certificate of Authenticity that guarantees highest quality of the tree. All of their palm trees are properly grown and acclimatized to the correct hardiness zone.
Most importantly, you will receive a tree in perfect health and wouldn’t have to worry about it dying few weeks later. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee or you money back. To purchase a Needle Palm Tree, click on one of the links below:
Buy Medium Needle Palm – Only $599.95!
Buy Small Needle Palm – Only $99.95!
A lot of palm trees die from fertilizer root burn and nutritional deficiencies. To avoid these problems, use fertilizer that has continues release formula, which feeds your palm tree for few months, rather than using a cheap fertilizer that will wash away after 2-3 rains.
I personally use 
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