Pronunciation: roy-STONE-ee-uh oh-ler-AH-see-uh
Common Name: South American Royal Palm, Venezuelan Royal Palm
Roystonea oleracea is easily the most ornamental of the genus and though it also one of the more marginal species for southern California, for those lucky enough to live in the right climate, this is one of the most spectacular palms one can grow here. This is potentially one of the tallest pinnate palms one can grow in California. In the tropics, this palm grows over 100' and is one of the most spectacular trees for planting in groups or to line a roadway.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: Solitary with a crown of 15-20 leaves
- Height: 80' estimate (none nearly that tall... yet)
- Trunk: single; 28" in diameter; ringed though rings fade with age; eventually lower trunk looks like a thick, concrete pole; clean/smooth
- Crownshaft: 3' long with bulge at bottom and tapering to narrow top, about 1/2 the diameter of the trunk immediately below crownshaft; dark green to dark blue-green
- Spread: 25'
- Leaf Description: pinnate; 15' long; very subtly plumose with leaflets relatively wide for a Roystonea, drooping from a flat plane; leaves always borne upright to nearly horizontal- never below horizontal; deep lime green to dark green
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long and nearly tubular; light green
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: 18"; highly branched; stout; often multiple in number, immediately below crownshaft pointing upright just about horizontal
- Fruit: ovoid green to blackish purple as they ripen; 1" long
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 30F
- Drought Tolerance: moderate
- Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
- Wind Tolerance: moderate to good
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Cold Tolerance: low
- Growth Rate: fast
- Soil Preference: somewhat adaptable- prefers moist and well draining
- Light Requirement: full sun
- Human Hazards: very heavy leaves can fall and cause injury, automobile damage
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: poor choice probably
- Availability: rare but often available at palm specialty nurseries
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