Porcupine Palm Rhapidophyllum hystrix

The Needle Palm is a dense, rounded, clumping, evergreen shrub and temperate fan palm in the Arecaceae or palm family. The genus name, Rhapidophyllum, combines Rhapis, a genus of Asian palms, and phyllon, the Greek work meaning leaf, as both genera have leaf segments that split in a similar way. The specific epithet, hystrix, is Greek for porcupine. The common name, Needle Palm, refers to the 6-inch long black spines that emerge from the base of the shrub.

The needle palm grows slowly from 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. It has a short and thick trunk, and large, evergreen, palmate, glossy green leaves. The leaf measures up to 30 inches across and is deeply divided with 5 to 12 narrow and stiff segments. The segments are arranged like a fan, and each segment is about 20 inches long. Black, sharp, needle-like spines that are 6 inches long project from the base of the palm and protect the interior of the plant. In the summer, clusters of yellowish-brown, three-petaled flowers bloom in panicles within the leaf sheaths and are mostly hidden by the foliage and not particularly showy. The flowers are followed by small, fuzzy, reddish-brown drupes that are seen in the fall.

The palm is native to the southeastern United States and is typically found in floodplains and swampy areas of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. It is hardy from zones 6b to 10. It has been commercially exploited and has become an endangered and threatened species. 

The Needle Palm grows in rich, moist, and well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade, but it performs best in partial shade. It is tolerant of wet soils and is drought tolerant once established. It is important to plant this shrub in a sheltered area to protect it from winter winds. Of the palms, the Needle Palm is the most cold hardy and will survive in zone 6b. Mulching the roots will help the plant survive the cold winter temperatures. This nearly trunkless palm will survive sub-zero weather for short periods and is therefore hardy in the southeast. It spreads easily by suckers, and it can be propagated by dividing these suckers. It may also be propagated by seeds, but it takes 6 to 12 months for the seeds to germinate.

The sharp spines usually preclude moving this shrub once established, and these spines are dangerous for people and animals. This plant is seldom damaged by deer, It provides good wildlife cover and attracts beetles.

This plant may be used as a textural accent, specimen, or understory shrub in the landscape. It may also be used as a foundation planting or as a container plant.  The spiky evergreen leaves add interest to a shady border and the winter landscape.

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom: Spring and Early Summer      Foliage:  Year-round         Fruit:  Fall

Quick ID Hints:

• dense, rounded, clumping, evergreen shrub
• trunk is dark reddish-brown and has sharp 6-inch long, dark brown to black needles
•  leaves are alternate, palmately compound, and fan-like with 8 to 16 leaflets
•  leaves measure up to 30 inches in diameter
• each leaflet is 15 to 20 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide
• petiole is 18 to 20 inches long.
• flowers are yellowish-brown clusters measuring 6 to 12 inches long
• fruit is a reddish-brown, oblong, fuzzy drupe  

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This shrub has no serious insect or disease problems.