Roystonea regia

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: roy-STONE-ee-uh REE-gee-uh


Common Name: Cuban Royal Palm; Florida Royal Palm

Roystonea regia is probably the most commonly grown Royal palm in California and probably the hardiest as well. This is the only native Royal Palm to the United States. Though rarely grown in California because it was thought too cold sensitive until the last 20 years, it can now been seen in many public landscapings throughout the southern tip of the state. This is a large palm with a beautiful concrete-like smooth, thick trunk and long, bright green crownshaft. Few palms are more impressive than this one once mature.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-12 leaves
  • Height: 60'
  • Trunk: single; 2' thick; smooth; faintly ringed trunk; concrete-like, grey, sometimes with a bulge near the middle
  • Crownshaft: 3'; barely the thickness of the upper trunk but then tapering to about half the trunk thickness or less; bright green to yellow-green
  • Spread: 16'
  • Leaf Description: pinnate; plumose (markedly so); 9'-10' long; upright to horizontal, sometimes drooping below horizontal (commonly in tropical climates); bright green
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long; thick; channeled; unarmed
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: 2' long; immediately below crownshaft; laterally oriented to drooping; multi branched; dead inflorescences droop and look like dust brooms; white flowers
  • Fruit: 1/4"; spherical; red turning to purplish black when ripe; contain some oxalates making them mildly toxic and irritating to chew
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 27F
  • Drought Tolerance: moderate
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate to good
  • Wind Tolerance: moderate to poor
  • Salt Tolerance: moderate
  • Growth Rate: moderate to fast with age
  • Soil Preference: widely adaptable
  • Light Requirement: full sun
  • Human Hazards: very heavy leaves fall and can injure people and autos below; mildly toxic fruit
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
  • Transplants?: fairly tolerant
  • Indoor?: unknown
  • Availability: moderately rare but becoming more and more common


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