Rhapidophyllum hystrix

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Needle Palm

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Genus:	Rhapidophyllum H.Wendl. & Drude
Species:	R. hystrix

Binomial name

Rhapidophyllum hystrix
(Pursh) H.Wendl. & Drude

Rhapidophyllum hystrix, commonly known as Needle Palm or occasionally as Porcupine palm due to the needle-like spines produced at the petiole bases, is the sole member of the genus Rhapidophyllum in the palm family Arecaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States, from central Florida to Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Alabama. It is one of the most cold hardy palms in the world, and one of the only species of palm that can grow north of the Chesapeake Bay in the United States.

The Needle Palm assumes a shrublike clumping form with several stems growing from a single base, the stems growing very slowly and tightly together, eventually forming a dense base 1-1.2 m tall. The whole plant can reach 2-3 m tall to the top of the erect central leaves. It is a fan palm (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with the leaves with a long petiole terminating in a rounded fan of 8-16 leaflets; each leaf is up to 2 m long, with the leaflets up to 60-80 cm long. The flowers are borne in dense, short clusters at the top of the stems; it is usually dioecious with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is a brown drupe about 2 cm long. The Needle Palm gets its name from the numerous sharp needle-like spines produced on its stem between the leaves; these are 10-25 cm long and protect the stem growing point from browsing animals.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

A young Needle Palm in central New Jersey.

Adaptable range for Rhapidophyllum hystrix in the United States

The Needle Palm is very popular among palm enthusiasts in cold climates for its extraordinary ability to tolerate cold. Some reports have claimed survival of temperatures as low as -29ºC, although more realistic estimates are approximately -15° to -21ºC. A large, well-established specimen has been growing without protection at the United States National Arboretum in Washington, D. C. since the 1960s, and a specimen at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens has been flourishing for years. However, unlike the related Trachycarpus species, the Needle Palm needs hot, humid summer temperatures to thrive and thus makes it a poor choice for gardeners in the Northwest United States.

The Needle Palm is considered to be commercially exploited and therefore threatened. When purchasing this palm, it is wise to purchase it only from a reputable dealer, as some unscrupulous dealers harvest them directly from the wild.