Roystonea regia

Cuban, or Florida royal palm (Roystonea regia) is a large and easily recognizable palm. It has a massive, almost half meter (20 inch) thick trunk and grows to heights of up to 30 meters, or almost 100 feet. The trunk itself is pale grey in colour, and is often bulging just below its distinctive green crownshaft. The tree grows large pinnate leaves which are often up to four meters, or arount 13 feet in length. Small, red to purple or almost black fruits produce seeds used for oil and livestock feed, while the tree itself is used as construction timber. The palm's beauty makes it a popular ornamental plant, and it is also recognized as the national tree of Cuba.

"The most beautiful palm in the world" is something everyone in its native Cuba would say, and many palm enthusiasts worldwide would agree with them. Cuban royal palm (Roystonea regia), the national tree of Cuba, is a tall, fast growing beauty:

• It usually reaches a height of around 20 meters, or 70 feet, although Roystonea can grow up to 35 meters, towering its surroundings
• It grows in tropical and subtropical areas and loves a sunny location
• It will grow quickly, around 30 cm per year, if well watered and regularly fertilized

Roystonea’s beauty comes both from its trunk as well as its canopy.

• The trunk is long, slender and light gray, almost white. It is smooth, with visible leaf scars
• At the end of the trunk, a beautiful green crownshaft is formed, with a length between 1 and 3 meters

The canopy of Cuban royal palm can spread up to 8 meters, or roughly 25 feet, in diameter.

• Roystonea leaves are pinnate, with blades growing on several planes
• The leaves arch from the crownshaft in every direction and can grow up to 3.5 to 4 meters in length

Just below the leaves, on the trunk, the palm develops flowers:

• Flowers are small, white, with purple anthers and blunt petals
• Petals are up to 7 mm long, with female flowers being smaller than male
• Female flowers also form a small tubular corolla

Fruits are purple when ripe, egg-shaped and small, up to 15mm in length. The color of the fruit changes from green when immature, slowly turning red, and dark purple when ripe. The fruit has brown flesh and holds a single brown oval seed. 

• The seed is not longer than 6 to 7 millimeters, or 1/4 inch. If you wish to grow Roystonea regia from seed, keep in mind that the seed loses viability quickly and needs to be fresh.