The Royal Palm (Roystonea regia) is native to Cuba and Honduras. The name says it all, Royal Palm! Truly an aristocrat of the plant kingdom, this palm makes a memorable impression wherever it is grown. Every palm enthusiast has to have one. In the right spot, this is a canopy forming palm. It adds something unusual, beautiful, and tropical. Grows real fast, witch is rare for a palm, and grows up to 60ft. The Royal Palm trunk is smooth and light gray and looks as if it has been cast from concrete. Often there's a bulge at the base, but sometimes the mid trunk is bulging as well. The trunk can get very thick, up to almost 2 ft. This solitary evergreen looks almost artificial. Leaflets are arranged in rows, along the 10' length of bright green pinnate. Composed of 15 - 20 leaves, the canopy sits atop the long green crown shaft, that usually extends downward past the horizontal midline, a smooth, glossy extension of the trunk composed of the overlapping bases of the leaves. That tree produces a large 3' to 4' inflorescence up to 1m long, on which, both male and female flowers are borne. The flowers are creamy white to creamy yellow. They bloom repeatedly in mid summer. But when grown inside, the palm won`t produce flowers. Hardiness zones 10-11 (1øC/35øF,4øC/40øF) in winter. Can survive cold spells down to 28øF if short in duration. The Royal Palms are not particular about soil but likes it well drained. Likes bright, sunny conditions. Being tolerant of salt drift, the Royal Palms will grow near salt water and on the beach. Cold dry winds tend to give "frizzle" to the ends of the leaflets. In colder areas, this is a species that can look good at the end of summer and a bit shabby at the end of winter.