Roystonea regiaCuban Royal Palm

The Roystonea regia, commonly known as the Cuban Royal Palm, is the palm that defines a boulevard. A smooth pale grey trunk, often visibly swollen through the middle, rises 15 to 25 metres to a bright green crownshaft, above which long arching pinnate fronds spread in a full even crown.

Nothing else in the palm palette delivers the same formality in a line, which is why it is the standard choice for resort entrances, civic avenues and hotel forecourts across the warm world.

Specifications

• Height15 to 25 metres, occasionally to 30 metres
• Width6 to 8 metres (crown spread)
• Native toCuba, southern Florida, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and parts of Central America
• FoliageLong, arching, feather-shaped pinnate fronds emerging from a smooth bright green crownshaft; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers deep, well-drained soils and tolerates sandy and periodically wet ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterModerate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and coastal regions

Additional Features

• FormSmooth pale columnar trunk, often bulging through the middle, topped by a green crownshaft and an even crown
• UsesIdeal for grand avenue and boulevard planting, resort and hotel entrances, and civic and commercial landscapes
• SpacingPlant 6 to 9 metres apart for avenues or 10 metres for open groups
• Low MaintenanceSelf-cleaning and needs no frond pruning, but whole fronds drop without warning, so keep clear of parking and seating
• Pest ResistanceNaturally robust with basic care
• Salt ToleranceSuited to back-of-beach coastal positions with moderate salt exposure
• Drought ToleranceHolds condition on moderate irrigation once established

The Cuban Royal Palm remains the most formal statement available in a palm avenue, and it grows into the role fast.