The Cuban Royal Palm
Tall and elegant with a clean trunk, the Cuban Royal Palm is Roystonea regia. It can reach to 30 metres in height and has a good rounded crown one mature. Excellent when used as a large specimen tree in broader landscaping applications.
Roystonea regia or ‘Cuban royal palm’ is a tropical to sub tropical palm used widely in landscaping. Originally from Cuba. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Royal Palm’ they are used widely in street plantings. The fronds are long with a drooping habit, they are unarmed (no spikes) and this is a self cleaning palm tree. (It drops its old fronds).
Flowers are white and appear in large inflorescences on pendulous stems. Flowers are followed by green berries which will turn to a very deep red to black as they ripen.
With a solitary trunk that is clean and attractive, this is a tree that looks good as a feature tree as well as when planted in avenues. The crown shaft is green. Growth rate will be faster in good soils with regular watering.
Propagation
The propagation method is from seeds. The seeds are best collected fresh and then washed thoroughly to remove the pulp. Gloves should be worn to protect the skin from irritants in the pulp.
The seeds should be sown in a free draining mix and kept in a warm position. The seeds are very slow to germinate and can easily take 6 months to show signs of life. We suggest some mechanical scarification of the seed to speed up germination.
Roystonea regia Summary Information
- Height – To 30 metres in height and sometimes a little taller.
- Spread – A crown of around 7 to 8 metres.
- Growth Rate – Fast to medium depending on soil and climate.
- Position – Full sun.
- Soil – Humus rich and well drained.
- Trunk – Smooth grey with a pronounced bulge below the green crown shaft itself.
- Foliage – Deep green arching fronds to 4 metres in length.
- Flowers – Large white inflorescences on drooping stems.
- Trunk – Grey with a swollen base.
- Coastal plantings – Suited.
- Drought tolerant – Medium once established.
Cuban Royal Palm or Roystonea regia is available fro sale from the following nurseries
Clays Rd Mullumbimby NSW 2482
Wholesale Palm Trees. Large range of palm trees in 45L bags at 5-6 years of age from 1-4 meters depending on variety. Available from QLD to Victoria.
www.palmsonline.com.au
email: chinatrading@bigpond.com
Advanced trees and palms from all over Australia delivered anywhere in Australia and Overseas. Salvaged Zamia Palms, Grass Trees, Queensland Bottle Trees & Livistona Palms
www.chinatrading.com.au
email ask@plantmark.com.au
One of Australia's largest wholesale trade nurseries. Over 30,000 species available, tubestock to advanced trees, an almost unlimited choice of plants.
www.plantmark.com.au