Roystonea regia (cuban royal palm)

[Puremagick3]

Has anyone over there attempted to grow one of this great palms? If so what luck did u have. I am curious cos naturally they grow great over here but what's ur success rate there?

[MikeC]

No chance I would have thought.

As a large houseplant or in a tall conservatory possibly.

[Puremagick3]

Would be interesting to know how long they would last etc. Over here they are extremely fast growers. Normalling growing about a meter a year when established (around the same speed as Alexandra palms).

[Dave Brown]

I've always regarded it as the same league as the Coconut, a difficult to keep house plant, so have never tried. I concentrate on the more hardy to borderline stuff that in good years stands a chance outside here.

[Puremagick3]

So pretty much a no goer. I guess I am just interest to know what palms and tropicals grow well over there. It's my interest that makes me curious.

[Rod]

So pretty much a no goer. I guess I am just interest to know what palms and tropicals grow well over there. It's my interest that makes me curious.

Roystonea regia, Wont even grow in New Zealand ~ needs more heat than we can give it.
EDIT: - Can be grown, to my surprise in the mildest and sunniest areas of the North Island of New Zealand.

[GREVILLE]

I intend to try this as a potted specimen. I will be bringing one back from the Canary Islands later this summer. I figure if I can overwinter young Adonidia, Archontophoenix, Areca, Dictyosperma and Hyophorbe I should have the same success with this.

[Rod]

I intend to try this as a potted specimen. I will be bringing one back from the Canary Islands later this summer. I figure if I can overwinter young Adonidia, Archontophoenix, Areca, Dictyosperma and Hyophorbe I should have the same success with this.

Hi Greville - It is easy to over winter archontophoenix as it can tolerate cooler temps well during winter in a conservatory or greenhouse, but R. Regia will not tolerate low temps and you will have to heat your conservatory or greenhouse for it to survive.
During the winter in your greenhouse, it would need 16°c min, during the day and no less than about 8°c during the night. Otherwise it will deteriorate over time, then eventually die.
It is a true tropical palm and only grows successfully in a Sub-tropical to full-tropical climate.

[GREVILLE]

Hi, Rod.

Thanks for the info. I can certainly keep the Royal in the conditions you describe. All my tropical palm seedlings stay in a 'hot box' overwinter (Polystyrene fish boxes linked by a heated cable do a great job.) The older palms come in from the greenhouse before winter to be grouped in a sunny window in the house or ferried a hundred yards away to my boys' school where they sit in heated halls and classrooms.

Seeds of Roystonea failed to germinate last autumn so I intend to bring back a young plant I know about when I return from the Canary islands at the end of Summer. They have magnificent specimens there and I'm an avid collector of anything I can stuff into my suitcase and bring home

[GREVILLE]

Hi, Rod.

Thanks for the info. I can certainly keep the Royal in the conditions you describe. All my tropical palm seedlings stay in a 'hot box' overwinter (Polystyrene fish boxes linked by a heated cable do a great job.) The older palms come in from the greenhouse before winter to be grouped in a sunny window in the house or ferried a hundred yards away to my boys' school where they sit in heated halls and classrooms.

Seeds of Roystonea failed to germinate last autumn so I intend to bring back a young plant I know about when I return from the Canary islands at the end of Summer. They have magnificent specimens there and I'm an avid collector of anything I can stuff into my suitcase and bring home

[Rod]

Hi, Rod.

Thanks for the info. I can certainly keep the Royal in the conditions you describe. All my tropical palm seedlings stay in a 'hot box' overwinter (Polystyrene fish boxes linked by a heated cable do a great job.) The older palms come in from the greenhouse before winter to be grouped in a sunny window in the house or ferried a hundred yards away to my boys' school where they sit in heated halls and classrooms.

Seeds of Roystonea failed to germinate last autumn so I intend to bring back a young plant I know about when I return from the Canary islands at the end of Summer. They have magnificent specimens there and I'm an avid collector of anything I can stuff into my suitcase and bring home

I love the cuban royal as well, its a beautiful palm.

[targui]

I am in Tauranga New Zealand, have a north facing property on a slope. I do not get frost. I have three
Roystonea Regia's at the front of my property. They have
been in eight years, one is 8 meters high the other two are 7 and 6 meters. All are in volcanic soil. Tauranga
has high sunshine hours and is six hundred kilometers
north of Rod's location in Christchurch. The climate
here is warm temperate with sub tropical elements. i
think Roystonea species would struggle to establish
anywhere in the U.K. due to the high latitude. However
it would be worth trying in a sheltered micro climate
near the coast on light friable soil that does not hold
excess water and is free draining. High sunshine hours
are a must, they like sun in spades, taking it from the
seedling stage without burning. Dypsis Ambositrae
grows well here also and is fast growing, I think it is
hardier than Roystonea.

[grub]

Welcome aboard Targui

[Rod]

I am in Tauranga New Zealand, have a north facing property on a slope. I do not get frost. I have three
Roystonea Regia's at the front of my property. They have
been in eight years, one is 8 meters high the other two are 7 and 6 meters. All are in volcanic soil. Tauranga
has high sunshine hours and is six hundred kilometers
north of Rod's location in Christchurch. The climate
here is warm temperate with sub tropical elements. i
think Roystonea species would struggle to establish
anywhere in the U.K. due to the high latitude. However
it would be worth trying in a sheltered micro climate
near the coast on light friable soil that does not hold
excess water and is free draining. High sunshine hours
are a must, they like sun in spades, taking it from the
seedling stage without burning. Dypsis Ambositrae
grows well here also and is fast growing, I think it is
hardier than Roystonea.

Hi Targui please upload Photos of these Roystonea regias ( I must see this )
I am very surprised by this as Tauranga's mean temps are even lower than Aucklands
Any colder and i am sure they would deteriorate. Many people have tried to grow these in the north island without success.
Ben in Waimarama has tried and failed.
Have a look at the temps Tauranga vs Napier, which is very similar to Bens climate


Tauranga > can be grown here
Hottest month: 23.8°c / 14.7°c ( mean = 19.25°c )
Coldest month: 14.3°c / 5.2°c ( mean = 9.75°c )
Sunshine: 2256 hrs ( 1.3 hrs more sun per week )
Rainfall: 1198 mm ( 7.6 mm more rain per week )

Napier > cannot be grown here
Hottest month: 24.4°c / 14.5°c ( mean = 19.45°c )
Coldest month: 14.0°c / 4.4°c ( mean = 9.20°c )
Sunshine: 2188 hrs
Rainfall: 802 mm

Which tells me that Roystonea regias are on the bottom limit of there temp range in Tauranga
I would love to be able to grow these Palms like you, but unfortunately my climate has too many heavy frosts.
This is what we can grow in Christchurch

Washingtonia robusta ( Hardy )
Livistona australis ( Hardy )
Livistona chinensis ( Hardy )
Brahea Armata ( Hardy )
Phoenix canariensis ( Hardy )
Butia capitata ( Hardy )
Trachycarpus fortunei ( Hardy )
Chamaerops humilis ( Hardy )
Parajubaea torallyii ( Hardy )
Jubaea chilensis ( Hardy )
Chamaedorea microspadix ( Hardy )
Chamaedorea radicalis ( Hardy )

[targui]

Rod, I have already posted a picture of one of my
Roystoneas, plus many other palms. Tauranga
temperatures are higher than the official figures. The
weather station is situated at the airport which is the
most windswept place in the Tauranga disitrict. There
is an alternative weather station in Chapel Street
in Tauranga City and the mean temperature there is
16.2 degrees {annual}. Here are a couple more photo's
of Roystoneas in my garden.