Royal Palm

Roystonea regia

The Royal Palm is one of the more beautiful palms found in South Florida and the Caribbean. There are two species common to South Florida: the Cuban Royal palm (Roystonea regia) and the native Florida Royal palm (Roystonea elata). Of the two, the Cuban Royal palm is the most common. This palm is frequently seen along the boulevards and parkways in South Florida. The Florida Royal palm is native to the cypress swamps in southern Florida, but is slowly disappearing from the wild.

The solitary trunk is clean, smooth, and light gray in color. The trunk of the Cuban Royal palm is slightly swollen at the base, constricts about halfway up, and then bulges to just below the crownshaft. The Florida Royal palm is a simple column lacking the bulge of the Cuban species. The crownshaft is a cylinder of bright green, 5-6 feet high. Ring scars, though visible, are not prominent. The trees grow to a height of 80-120 feet. There are usually 12-16 leaves averaging 20-25 feet in length.

Each flower stalk is enclosed in one massive bract, green and ribbed on the outer side, white and smooth on the interior. The stalk divides into branches and branchlets. The tiny yellow green flowers grow in threes, two males to each female. The fruit averages 1 inch in diameter, its color turning from purple to black.