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Royal palm

Roystonea regia

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Royal palm · Roystonea regia

A smooth grey trunk that bulges in the middle under a green crownshaft, often planted in rows along avenues and entrances.

Care and placement

Needs full sun and fertile well-drained soil but copes with both wet soil and drought once established; sturdy in hurricane-force wind and moderately salt tolerant; 15–25 m tall with fronds up to about 23 kg, so plant it well away from buildings, walkways and overhead lines; feed with a controlled-release fertiliser that includes potassium, manganese and boron.

Draft mature dimensions

Maximum height (cm): 2000 cm · Maximum spread (cm): 700 cm

Things to consider

Each frond, 3–4 m long, can weigh up to 50 lb (about 23 kg) and drops naturally about once a month, so it can injure people or damage property below. The fruit pulp contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate skin, so wear gloves when handling fruit and seed; fallen fruit is slippery and messy. Ganoderma butt rot or crown rot can bring the whole palm down without warning. The sources consulted give no toxicity data for eating it, so safety is not claimed. Planting, pruning or felling on public land needs the authority's permission.

Unknown evidence does not mean safe. Decorative plants are not automatically edible.

Information is compiled from multiple reputable sources for reference. If you spot an error, please contact us so we can check and update it.

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How to grow and care for it

  1. Planting and pot

    It suits streets, parks and large grounds but is too big for a typical home garden: the trunk reaches 15–25 m and the crown spreads about 6–7 m. Plant it well away from buildings, walkways and parking because the heavy fronds fall, and away from overhead lines, with the exact distance set by a site survey (the decree requires the electricity safety corridor to be kept). The sources consulted give no distance to pavements or pipes; NParks says only that the roots are fibrous and underground. Dig a hole about twice the width of the root ball and set the top of the ball about 2.5 cm below the soil surface; planting on a pavement or public land needs the tree authority's permission.

  2. Light

    Plant in full sun all day; it does not suit spots shaded by tall buildings or large trees. The palm grows straight up above other trees, so it needs open space overhead.

  3. Watering

    The palm tolerates both wet soil and drought once established, but grows best in moist to wet soil, so water regularly in the first year and the dry season. It tolerates salt spray, but not high salt in the root zone, so avoid salty irrigation water.

  4. Feeding

    The palm is prone to potassium, manganese and boron deficiencies, especially on calcareous or fill soil. Use a controlled-release fertiliser at about 8-2-12-4 Mg (or 8-0-12-4 Mg) with micronutrients, at the label rate; severe manganese deficiency needs manganese sulfate.

  5. Pruning

    There is no need to cut old fronds because the palm is self-cleaning, dropping about one a month. Do not pull or cut green fronds, because wounds on the upper trunk can let in rot fungi that make the crown topple suddenly. Only trained people should remove fully dead fronds at height, and pruning shade trees 10 m or taller on public land needs a permit under the decree.

  6. Propagation

    Propagate by seed: remove the pulp and rinse the seed well (wear gloves because the pulp irritates skin), then sow in well-drained, evenly moist soil and keep it warm, ideally around 35 °C. The seed falls with an immature embryo so germination is slow, taking 5–8 months; move seedlings to containers after the second leaf appears.

  7. Pests and common problems

    Rhinoceros beetles can attack the growing point and kill the palm; the royal palm bug feeds on new leaves and leaves them frizzled, which can look like potassium or manganese deficiency. Ganoderma butt rot in the bottom metre of the trunk makes the palm wilt; if a conk appears at the base, remove the palm promptly because it may fall. In a city there are also the heavy falling fronds and slippery, messy fallen fruit below. The sources consulted do not report allergenic pollen.

  8. For plentiful, healthy leaves

    For fast growth and a glossy green feather crown: plant in full sun in fertile moist soil, feed with a controlled-release fertiliser containing potassium, manganese and boron, and avoid wounding the trunk. The smooth grey trunk with a bulge in the middle under a green crownshaft is the palm's signature look.