Needle Palm Brings Easy-Care Flair to Southern Gardens

This cold-hardy native is a dramatic textural centerpiece in any design

There is more to medal than cocoanut and tropic island . The more you get to have a go at it this marvelous radical of plants , the more you realise how divers they can be . In fact , the palm syndicate , Arecaceae , hold back thousands of plants . These include well - known palm with tall trunks , but also many shrubby and even some climbing palms . There are many Southern gardeners who are skilful at growing medallion in their landscape painting . However , as you move to less coastal regions of the South , we do n’t often opine about adding palms to our landscape . Needle medal ( Rhapidophyllum hystrix , Zones 7–10 ) brook out as one of the hardiest and easiest ribbon to grow in the South .

A Cold-Hardy Native

Needle palm is a shrubby palm aboriginal to central Florida , the Florida panhandle , and depressed Alabama and a few ring areas . In the natural state this plant has lost habitat and been commercially exploited . However , it is usable from a smorgasbord of reputable nurseries . One of this palm ’s greatest attributes is its cold hardiness . It can survive brusque periods down to 0 ° F , and it perform well in USDA Hardiness Zones 7–10 . I have even seen it grown in protect areas of Zone 6b .

Wicked Defenses

Needle ribbon has large dissected leaves radiating from a central pate at the base of the plant . At the fundament of those leaves are the “ needles ” that act as a instinctive barrier from any creature that might want to get into the plant life ’s interior . Although I have never seen it find in mortal , I have heard report of small gnawer play their demise after getting too close to the base of this palm .

Finding a Good Home

phonograph needle ribbon grow in moist environments , specially on forested slope . I have seen it thrive in the landscape in places where gardeners have crock up the code on the magical residual between wet and dependable drainage at the same time . This is an understory plant in the state of nature , and it appreciates some shade , particularly in the afternoon . I have also find it do well in place where brick building provide a good compounding of refulgent heat , shade , and winter protection .

Supporting Young Plants

In many cases , it ’s fine to transplant very youthful plant out into the landscape painting . However , if you purchase a needle palm and it ’s very minuscule when it get , it might be best to grow it in a muckle for a few year . If its current raft size is passable , I suggest using it as part of a mixed container during its first growing season . you could simply bury the industrial plant , container and all , and then remove the container during cold conditions . Overwinter your small plant in a protect part of the garden or the windowpane of an unwarmed garage . Needle medallion is best planted in bounce to allow for a time of year of establishment before encounter insensate atmospheric condition .

Tropical Interest

If you ’re take care to add something different to your landscape that also has a tropic vibe , this just might be your plant . Once established , it need very little maintenance and is a difficulty - free accession to the landscape . Again , outflow would be the best time to add this palm to your home garden . However , even if it is n’t springiness , take some time to scope out a succeeding place in your garden for this tremendous southerly indigene .

countenance ’s take a closer look at this beautiful plant life :

— Andy Pulte is a module member in the works sciences section at the University of Tennessee .

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