Description
Roystonea regia. (Arecaceae) Cuban royal palm, Florida royal palm. Majestic, upright, pinnate palm with whitish, swollen stem; somewhat glossy green leaflets with prominent secondary ribs on either side of the midrib. Sowing : Sow seeds in summer. Plant it in a small container with a very thin layer of soil, or even only half-buried. Palms do not readily sprout if they are buried too deep—in nature, palm seeds are dispersed by the wind and animals and are rarely buried before they are expected to sprout. Once you planted the palm seed, move the container to a very warm, very humid place. If you have a window-box in a steamy bathroom, the location should be perfect. If you don’t, wrap the container in a plastic bag or plastic food wrap and place it in a warm location, like the top of your refrigerator or a warm windowsill. The time to germination varies wildly among palm species, but it’s probably longer than you’re accustomed to. Some palm trees will sprout in 70 days, others can easily take six months to sprout. Don’t worry if the seed starts looking a little ragged while you’re waiting. It’s not uncommon for palm seeds to shrivel and otherwise look dead before they sprout. Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: June 2023
