The Royal Palm is a majestic plant used mostly for ornamental purposes, it is easy to grow and maintain. Also known by the names of Cuban Chaguaramo or Creole Palm, it is a sacred tree for religions of African origin and an emblem of the fields of Cuba. Learn more about this exuberant palm by reading the following article. Do not miss it!
The Royal Palm
The royal palm is one of the palm species, known by the scientific name of Roystonea regia monoica, that is, it has male and female flowers on the same stem, family Arecaceae, of the genus Roystonea. Its name is designated in honor of the North American general Roy Stone and the adjective regia that comes from the Latin regius-a-um that means royal thanks to its great slender bearing.
Features
The royal palm tree has a trunk that can reach 25 meters in height and in some cases much more, with a support that can behave like a stem. This is grayish and smooth in color that becomes thinner at higher altitudes. Its thickness can vary between 50 and 60 centimeters in diameter. At the end it has a ridge that protrudes from the end of the stem with leaves that can reach 6 meters in length. As for its foliage at the base, it has a large, smooth petiole around the trunk. Its leaves are pinnate, that is, it has numerous leaflets on the sides of the main axis, of a shiny dark green color.
Regarding the reticular system, the royal palm tree has two types of roots, the primary ones that usually appear in the first stage of the plant and the adventitious ones, which originate in old roots to comply with anchoring and feeding. Its flowers are sessile, attached to a kind of shell, they appear white with a mild aroma, lanceolate in shape and numerous stamens and a spike (spadix) with small flowers crowded on a fleshy axis. The fruit is oblong in shape with a violet color that contains a single seed.
How to grow it
The multiplicity of the royal palm tree is through seeds that can take 2 to 3 months to germinate under suitable conditions. A soil with abundant organic matter and good drainage is required, it is recommended that the plantation be carried out in the first days of spring. For a good development it is necessary to have a warm climate and moderate water, although it can withstand periods of drought. Its growth is fast when it is in direct soil, it is able to resist strong winds and salinity, however it is susceptible to icy climates.
Steps for its cultivation :
Place several seeds in a container of water for 24 hours. Then observe and those that floated the debris. You take the seeds that remained at the bottom of the container and place them in a bag filled with vermiculite (a kind of mineral compound formed by iron or magnesium silicates) which has the property of retaining moisture, then the bag is placed where it can receive sunlight, in this way the seed will carry out its germination process that can take several weeks.
Location
The royal palm tree, due to its great majesty, is a plant widely used in decoration, either outdoors or indoors, but for this you must take into account some details. Outdoors, during the first stage of growth it is advisable to place the plant in semi-shade, but after reaching a certain size it requires direct sunlight, this transition must be done gradually to prevent the foliage from burning.
If kept indoors, this palm can adapt very well to closed environments at the beginning of its growth as long as it can receive direct sunlight. But as it grows, it demands a free environment, so it should end up being planted in the garden, due to the height it can reach.
Care
The royal palm is a plant of great resistance and little care. Here we present the necessary care so that your palm tree can grow to its maximum splendor.
Irrigation
This palm requires frequent watering, but without flooding. The soil must remain slightly moist, for this it is recommended to water during the summer, which is the hottest time, 3 to 4 times a week and between 1 and 2 times the rest of the days. When it is in the first stage of growth, avoid wetting its leaves during irrigation as they tend to rot. In the case of being indoors, the pot must have good drainage and a plate that helps preserve a slight humidity.
Fertilizer
The royal palm must be planted in soil rich in organic matter, in the case of planting in a pot it is advisable to prepare a universal substrate with 30% perlite. In the garden, the soil must be well fertilized, loose and have good drainage. This fertilizer is required during the growth period. You can also use a special fertilizer for palm trees.
Rusticity
In the case of the royal palm tree, it is highly resistant to hot climates, but not to frost. In the case of being present in an extreme temperature below 0° C, the plant requires some protection, since its leaves tend to have tips burned by the cold.
Plagues and diseases
The royal palm tree does not escape the onslaught of certain pests and diseases. Cochineals, mainly, are parasites that undermine plants when they are in periods of hot and dry climates. These can be combated with insecticides of chemical origin based on chlorpyrifos, which is broad-spectrum and acts by contact, or natural ones that take a little longer to act but are less aggressive for the plant, as is the case with methylated spirits. and liquid soap that are used to spray and thus eliminate these predators.
In the case of fungi, it is advisable to control the irrigation to prevent their roots from rotting, hence the importance of having good drainage. Other pests that tend to damage the royal palm is the red palm weevil, which is listed as one of the most damaging. The greatest destruction occurs when this plague is in its first phase, that is, when it hatches, as it begins to feed on the interior of the palm, weakening it, the leaf that guides the palm moves, hundreds of galleries are observed and its flowering is out of time. To avoid or eliminate it, you must water the eye of the palm tree and use natural remedies.
Habitat and distribution
The royal palm has its origin in the Caribbean, specifically in South Florida, Bahamas, Belize and Cuba, it can also be found in Honduras, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico and in some areas of Mexico. This palm is very common in the cultivated plains of Cuba, as well as in mountainous and humid soil. It is used in sugar cane plantations to easily distinguish them in the distance thanks to its enormous size.
Use of the Royal Palm
The main use of the royal palm is ornamental. When the plant dies, its trunk and leaves are used to make houses or huts. Leaf sheaths are used to cover cured tobacco leaves. As for the fruit that this palm generates, it is used to feed pigs and its flowers are a food source for honey species that, when dried, are used as a rudimentary broom. It also has nutritional properties, since the heart is consumed in Cuba under the name of palmiche, in addition to using its oil to make homemade soaps. As for medicinal use, the root is used for diabetes and kidney stones.
emblematic tree
In Cuba, the Royal Palm tree was decreed an emblematic tree because it is the one that abounds throughout the island and the most notorious, for which it is reflected in the national coat of arms.
Ritual tree in Cuba
For Cubans, the Royal Palm is a sacred tree, especially in Santeria, a religion originating from the Yoruba (African ethnic group). In this religion it is called alabbi, since it is the favorite of lightning, one of the attributes that represents Changó, better known as Santa Bárbara, patron saint of Cubans. Reason why the offerings to this orisha are placed at the foot of the royal palm tree. It is also used to make a hut in the Casa de Santo so that initiates can receive a tribute after their consecration. When the palm tree does not bear fruit, it is whipped with clusters of its flowers. At the same time, it is insulted and threatened.
If you want to know more about the Royal Palm, watch the video that we present to you.
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