Royal Palm
Roystonea regia
Plant Family: Palmae
Leaves: Pinnate, up to 4 m long, the segments are held in several planes off the rachis.
Bark: Light gray, the bulging trunk is cement-like and topped with a distinctive green crownshaft that may be 1.5 to 2 meters long.
Flowers: White, fragrant, in long drooping clusters, seen spring to summer.
Fruits: Rounded, green, ripening to blue, to 1 cm, in heavy drooping clusters; summer to fall.
Habitat: Hammocks; also widely planted along streets and highways in south Florida.
Growth Form: Royal Palm is a stately tree that is the tallest of Florida’s palm species, rising to over 30 m.
Similar Species: Manila Palm (Veitchia merrillii) also has a green crownshaft, but has shorter leaves, a ringed trunk, and is smaller when mature.
Comments: The natural range of Royal Palm includes south Florida, Mexico, parts of Central America, the Bahamas, and Cuba, where it is the national tree. It is also planted in many other tropical countries as an ornamental.
