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Roystonea O.F. Cook

Informally Refereed

Abstract

There are 2 noteworthy species of Roystonea palms grown in the United States and its territories. Puerto Rico royal palm is native to Puerto Rico and Vieques, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and possibly Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. It has possibly naturalized in the British Virgin Islands and in St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The smooth gray trunk with its swollen base and the gracefully drooping fronds are a common sight in the island cities. Its ability to withstand a polluted atmosphere and to grow well on either moist, well-drained soils or nutrient-deprived fill dirt enhances its value as a landscape plant. Cuban royal palm is a native of Cuba that is now naturalized in Hawaii and in Collier, Dade, and Monroe Counties in Florida. Like its relative, it too is a widely planted ornamental.

Keywords

Roystonea, royal palm, seed research

Citation

Connor, Kristina F.; Francis, John K. 2008. Roystonea O.F. Cook. In: Bonner, Franklin T.; Karrfalt, Robert P., eds. The Woody Plant Seed Manual. Agric. Handbook No. 727. Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 981-983.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/42348