Well, Philadelphia, even though it's at the same latitude as Rome, is much colder than London or Seattle. And, it's still in excellent condition. Some years, it even flowers and produces seed. Characteristics of The Needle Palm Thank you to Larry R. Noblick, Ph.D. Collections Manager at the Montgomery Botanical Center in Miami for supplying some of the following information, from the Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas Rhapidophyllum hystrix is a unique shrubby palm - the only member of its genus in the world. It is native to central and northern Florida as well as a few coastal areas of Mississippi, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Needle palm occurs in wet woodlands or hammocks, usually on limestone soils.
The flowers are unisexual, with male and female flowers usually on separate plants. So, to produce viable seed, you most likely will need more than one plant. Photo of really big needle palms in their native habitat in northern Florida , courtesy of Chuck Huxford, The Creative Native. As the plant grows, the stems multiply by offsets, so the plant grows in diameter, rather than in height. It's probably worth a try in even colder areas.