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The
Royal Palm (Roystonea regia) is native to Cuba and
Honduras. The name says it all, Royal Palm! Truly an
aristocrat of the plant kingdom, this palm makes a
memorable impression wherever it is grown. Every palm
enthusiast has to have one. In the right spot, this
is a canopy forming palm. It adds something unusual,
beautiful, and tropical. Grows real fast, witch is rare
for a palm, and grows up to 60ft.
The Royal Palm trunk is smooth and light gray and looks
as if it has been cast from concrete. Often there's a
bulge at the base, but sometimes the mid trunk is bulging
as well. The trunk can get very thick, up to almost
2 ft. This solitary evergreen looks almost artificial.
Leaflets are arranged in rows, along the 10' length of
bright green pinnate. Composed of 15 - 20 leaves, the
canopy sits atop the long green crown shaft, that usually
extends downward past the horizontal midline, a smooth,
glossy extension of the trunk composed of the overlapping
bases of the leaves.
That tree produces a large 3' to 4' inflorescence up to 1m
long, on which, both male and female flowers are borne.
The flowers are creamy white to creamy yellow. They bloom
repeatedly in mid summer. But when grown inside, the palm
won`t produce flowers.
Hardiness zones 10-11 (1°C/35°F,4°C/40°F) in winter.
Can survive cold spells down to 28°F if short in
duration. The Royal Palms are not particular about soil
but likes it well drained. Likes bright, sunny conditions.
Being tolerant of salt drift, the Royal Palms will grow
near salt water and on the beach. Cold dry winds tend to
give "frizzle" to the ends of the leaflets.
In colder areas, this is a species that can look good at
the end of summer and a bit shabby at the end of winter.
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