Royal Palm Tree

The royal palm tree is an imposingly tall and straight palm tree, the kind you would expect to find dotting the streets of southern Florida or the streets of cities in California. These trees are beautiful tropical plants that are worth growing for the way they stand out, despite the fact that they have certain particular maintenance requirements to keep them looking their best and biggest.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at some interesting information and facts about the royal palm tree, as well as how to grow one and care for it appropriately.

What are Royal Palm Trees?

The term “royal palm tree” can refer to two different species: Roystonea regia, also known as the Cuban royal palm tree, and Roystonea elata, also known as the Florida royal palm tree. The Florida royal palm lacks the Cuban variety’s distinctively bulging trunk, which is the main distinction between the two royal palm trees. The trunk of the Florida palm is straight and devoid of any bulges. Other than that, there are no additional differences between these two species. These species can only be grown outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11.

In maturity, royal palm trees can reach heights of 125 feet, growing at a pace of around one foot each year. This tree’s evergreen fronds are often 10 feet long and have eight-inch-long, pinnately green leaves. The canopy or crown of this palm is made up of 15 to 20 fronds. The younger segment of the tree’s trunk is smooth and brilliant green, while older portions of the trunk are rough and gray. On this palm’s massive three or four-foot stems, fragrant yellow blooms appear in the summer, followed by non-edible, half-inch, purplish-black fruits.

How to Grow a Royal Palm Tree

As long as they are grown in the ideal environment and temperature, royal palms are rather resilient trees. When choosing a location in the landscape, take the tree’s size at maturity into account. Place the royal palm far from any structures or utility wires to allow it to flourish unhindered and safely. The royal palm tree is a preferred option for medians along highways, huge parking lots, and roadways because of its elegance and beauty.

Plant royal palm trees at least eight feet away from your home to give the fronds room to spread out and avoid damaging walls. Plant them out far enough so that any objects or people underneath won’t be harmed by falling fronds. When planting these palms in a row, leave eight to 10 feet between them. This palm cannot be grown indoors as a houseplant since it is too large to fit in a container, unfortunately. However, there are many other palm species that make excellent houseplants and tend to stay small.

As an architectural highlight for a taller or multi-leveled home, a stand-alone yard specimen, or flanking each side of the entry to a long driveway, royal palms can be utilized quite well in landscaping.

How to Plant a Royal Palm Tree

There is no need to add fertilizer or additives to the planting location where you plan to place your royal palm tree, and doing so will likely damage the plant’s root system. Simply planting in natural soil is preferable.

To start, remove any vegetative growth from a planting area that is at least three feet in diameter. Unwanted vegetation robs the root system of vital nutrients and water. Keep grasses and weeds out of the area.

Create a hole that is a little broader and deeper than the root ball or the container the royal palm is growing in. The earth will be loosened, which will make it easier for the roots to spread out. Take the palm from its container as gently as possible. Insert the root ball into the hole while keeping the palm tree straight. To help the earth settle and get rid of any air pockets, backfill the hole with soil halfway and moisten it with water. Completely fill the hole with soil, and then use your foot to press it down around the base of the trunk. Re-water the planting area, this time soaking the root ball as much as possible.

Continue weekly irrigation for at least eight weeks while the roots acclimate to the new location. Eventually, your royal palm will root properly and start to grow! From here, you will simply need to care for your royal palm by following the directions outlined in the next section.

How to Care for a Royal Palm Tree

We mentioned earlier that there were few differences between Cuban royal palm trees and Florida royal palm trees, but there are some very slight differences in care worth knowing. The Florida species of the royal palm is more adapted to dealing with wetter soil conditions than the Cuban variety, which is better adapted to dealing with drought conditions. Deep weekly watering is necessary for newly planted royal palm trees until the tree develops its root system, which takes around three months. Every two to four weeks, established palm trees need to be watered, especially in hot, dry weather.

Royal palms can withstand a broad range of lighting conditions, including full sun and moderate shade. Apart from the fact that they require climate conditions found in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11, they are fairly tolerant of bright sunshine.

Short spells of cold as low as 28 degrees F are tolerated by the royal palm tree. Royal palms can also be successfully grown by gardeners in USDA zone 9B, where freezes are less common. But, in the event of a harsh winter, your tree can sustain some damage. That’s why we recommend sticking to zones 10 and 11.

As long as it drains adequately, the royal palm tree doesn’t appear to care whether it is planted in soil with clay, sand, or loam. The royal palm loves acidic to slightly alkaline soil, however excessive alkalinity might result in frizzed fronds. For the best possible growth, plant your palm in soils with a pH of 7.0 or below.

The likelihood that your royal palm will experience a nutritional issue is reduced by feeding it a good amount of fertilizer often. This palm tree species should ideally be fed every three months with one or one-and-a-half pounds of fertilizer for every 100 square feet of its canopy. Spread a slow-release fertilizer with an 8-2-12 ratio evenly under the canopy of the palm tree. Keep the product away from the trunk to prevent burning. Always remember to moisten the fertilizer into the earth after applying it by scratching it into the soil and watering it after. Do not fertilize a new royal palm at the time of planting since doing so might cause the roots to burn. Before starting the first cycle of fertilizer application, wait eight to twelve weeks to ensure the royal palm has established itself.

The fact that royal palms automatically shed their old fronds without the need for trimming is one of their advantages. This tree is still capable of receiving nutrients from the green fronds, so it is not recommended to remove them from any palm tree. They do a great job of shedding on their own!

Pests, Diseases, and Problems to Look Out For

There are a few illnesses and pests that you should be aware of even if the royal palm is immune to many of them. The royal palm insect seldom kills royal palm trees but can occasionally inflict aesthetic harm. This pest mostly affects older, more established royal palm trees; seldom does it infest plants under four feet tall. This pest infests fresh leaves just as they are starting to unfold in the spring, but it normally clears up by summer’s sweltering heat.

The insect, which is about a tenth of an inch long, has a flattened oval greenish-yellow body and red eyes. The sap from the royal palm’s fronds is sucked out by royal palm bugs, giving the leaf a shredded, brown appearance. Yellow flecks on the fronds are the first indications that there is an insect infestation. Seldom do royal palm trees with the royal palm insect need to be controlled. Due to the tree’s height and difficulties in reaching the canopy, it is not recommended to spray the tree to remove the infestation. Imidacloprid-treated soil drenches can be used by palm gardeners to remedy the issue. Remove any vegetation at the tree’s base, then apply one ounce or so of the product for each inch of the trunk of your royal palm.

Infected royal palm trees can also die from Ganoderma butt rot. By the time symptoms appear, the tree has already internally rotted. All species of palm trees can get this fungal illness, but botanists are still unsure exactly what environmental factors encourage it.

A conk developing on the lower base of the royal palm’s stem is one of the first indications of Ganoderma butt rot. The root system is infected by the fungi that are released by the conk into the palm. A royal palm is a large tree, thus it is best to remove it from the landscape as soon as you see the conk. Otherwise, the tree will ultimately topple over and may cause harm to any nearby buildings. The only option is to remove the tree and cut your losses, as there is no cure for this disease.

Where Can I Purchase a Royal Palm Tree?

You have the best chance of locating a royal palm tree at nurseries that are located within its hardiness zone because they can withstand only the hottest climes in the United States. Nonetheless, this species of palm tree is sold by a number of internet retailers. The royal palm is one of the more costly palms on the market and is available in sizes ranging from three-gallon pots to trees over 30 feet tall. Your neighborhood nursery is another place you can go to try and find this plant. If they don’t have the Cuban or Florida species, they might know someone who does in your city or town. If all else fails, search the internet!

Royal palm trees are fascinating plants, and they are well-loved for growing very large. If you have a landscaping project that calls for these large palms and you live in the appropriate hardiness zone, why not implement them for a little tropical flair?