Roystonea borinquena

Puerto Rican Royal Palm

A large and stately palm from Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Virgin Islands, where it is common to an altitude of about 1000 m (3300 ft.). It has a tall, gray brown, columnlike trunk that is swollen above the middle; a huge, grass green crownshaft; and a handsome crown of large, feathery leaves. It is generally similar to Roystonea regia and has the same requirements in cultivation. It is very fast growing and does well in most subtropical and tropical areas.

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germination comments by our visitors
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Also see plant cultivation comments below.

Seeds from this species ...

...very easy to germinate and need up to 1 month to sprout.
Mature fruits were taken from a palm tree and pulp was taken out from fruits after three days washing them with tap water. Seeds were soaked in tap water for one day. As in Dominican Republic this palm growth mostly in heavy soil I made a mixture of 50% of black soil rich in Montmorillonite and 50 % of mahogany sawdust and planted them in an aluminum tray with drainages. Tray was covered with a black plastic stock market. It stayed in my backyard underneath a tree getting indirect light. I added water every week. Seeds began to sprout in one month. Average temperature was 28 degrees Celsius.
Submitted on 21/09/2005 by Candido Boris Pichardo borispichardo@hotmail.com

...difficult to germinate and need up to 6 months to sprout.
Heat and temperature is all that matters when it comes down to planting this palm. It was difficult to grow for me, but I finally did it. Just put in warm soil, watch the soil temperature by using a soil thermometer, and just water regularly, and in time, your seeds will grow.
Submitted on 08/03/2005 by one of our visitors

...easy to germinate and need up to 1 month to sprout.
Had a friend bring back some seeds from Puerto Rico - Soaked seeds for 4 days.Ground up sphagnum peat, soaked (very wet - not mushy). In a clear plastic container (with a cover), lay seeds ON TOP of the peat, barely cover with a sprinkle of peat, place the cover on the container and place on the top of the stove. The seeds seem to like the constant heat from the pilot light. Seeds germinate in than a week.
Submitted on 01/03/2005 by Thomas Ratulowski Rat2of6@yahoo.com

...very easy to germinate and need up to 1 month to sprout.
Soaked in tap water with littl fungicide for 1 week ,and planted in moist pit in clear plastic container, Germinated in 15 days 80%.
Submitted on 19/12/2004 by Hamad Alfalasi Hmalfalasi@gmail.com

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plant cultivation comments by our visitors
Also see germination commnets above.

Plants from this species ...

... are of excellent ornamental value
In Casablanca in Morocco they need average care and grow fast.
Hello,I own a palm nursery in Morocco and it is the third year that i buy this palm tree.I'm really pround to choose it because respect the R.regiai, it is easier to grow and 2 time faster. The firstyyear i bought1000 of seeds and i had 60% ofermination, the secondyyeari bought 10000 and i had 70% off germination in one year. I coltivate them aall indoor in a greenhouse that in the spring can reach35 degrees, in summer 5degrees. I thinkthat the bBest temperature is around40-50 degrees, i have seen a singular speed with this climate... umidity needst to be stable, it ll be perfect for it. The Best compost is with moisture and perlite or sand,tthat is enough for it and in conclusion R.borinquena is the most resistent palm tree to low temperature in Roystonea family.
Submitted on 09/11/2013 by Karim Tabarani

win € 75 worth of seeds

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If you wish to read more on palm cultivation, we highly recommend Ornamental Palm Horticulture by Timothy K. Broschat and Alan W. Meerow, available in our bookshop.

Ratings and comments reflect individual experiences and the views of our visitors. They do not necessarily describe the most appropriate methods, nor are they necessarily valid for all seeds or plants of this species. Germination and plant cultivation success depends on many different factors; nevertheless, these experiences will hopefully aid you in your effort to get the best germination results from our seeds and the best growth results from your plants.

We recommend:

The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms
by Robert Lee Riffle, Paul Craft, Scott Zona

2nd edition
Completely revised and updated
Hardcover - 528 pages
11 x 8.5 inches

Our rating:

Suitable for: all

The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is the definitive account of all palms that can be grown for ornamental and economic use. Palms are often underutilized as a result of their unfamiliarity—even to tropical gardeners. To help introduce these valuable plants to a new audience, the authors have exhaustively documented every genus in the palm family.
825 species are described in detail, including cold hardiness, water needs, height, and any special requirements. Generously illustrated with more than 900 photos, including photos of several palm species that have never before appeared in a general encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is as valuable as an identification guide as it is a practical handbook. Interesting snippets of history, ethnobotany, and biology inform the text and make this a lively catalog of these remarkable plants.

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