Royal Palms (Roystonea regia) - Cuban Royal Palms

My nieces sister in law to be, lives near Balboa park. One day....

You've never been to Balboa Park?

It's definitely the jewel of the city. There's several Royal palms in the park. I'm glad they're planting more.

There's 4 close to the Botanical Building and several planted by the International Houses. There's one that's 60' tall planted close to International Houses...not sure when that one was planted.

Luckily, they are sold at Lowe's and Home Depot for several years now. They are also field-grown in part of San Diego.
The 50 plus Royal Palms planted at Crystal Court Shopping Center (in Costa Mesa) originally came from field-grown trees here in San Diego. Those trees were planted in 1999...most are about 50 feet tall, now...from only 2 or 3 foot trunks when originally planted. (they get lots of fertilizer and water).

Here's a photo from 2008 and 2014 and some others

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/47907-roystonea-regia-royal-palms/all

http://www.growsonyou.com/plant/slideshow/Roystonea_regia/294128-roystonea-regia-royal-palms

Here's all the Royal Palms I could find...there's 33 pics.

http://www.growsonyou.com/plant/slideshow/Roystonea_regia/149334

I should at least try one. One guy a few years ago posted he has one in Livermore. If its still alive? dont know.

Young ones tend to rot very easily during winter in the Bay Area. However, with this being said. On PalmTalk Jim in Los Altos has had a Roystonea boriquena growing for many years. With the winters getting warmer I'm sure more Palm Society members are growing more Royal Palms up there. There used to be two Roystonea altissima growing at the Palmetum in Oakland for 4 years. They grow pretty well; however, never looked really healthy. The December 1990 freeze killed them along with the two really gorgeous Euterpe edulis (they were located close to each other this is why I remember).

What is the best for marginal? Why not the Florida Royal.

Years ago, it was thought R. altissima was the most cool-hardy; however, R. boriquena seems to tolerate more cold.

Roystonea elata (Florida Royal Palm) is supposedly less hardy than R. regia.

Those Royals in Oakland sound pretty good consider they were in a public park..not getting any extra water or fertilizer like a at home Royal would get.

I have so much trouble with gophers..lost all my Chamadorea,a Bizmarckia and a Shaving brush palm. Almost lost a old Ti Plant,at least I was able to re -root it.
I would have to try a dirt cheap seedling Royal.

Stan,

Yes, the Royal palms were babied to the max! ? My good, long-time friend Garrin Fullington, a long-time Palm Society member planted them and used take the best care of the Palmetum and these palms. They got lots of water along with much TLC. When he moved to Hawaii the Palmetum was unfortunately not taken care so well.

Garrin was responsible for the large Ceraxylons planted at Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park. He brought back the seeds from South America back around 1975. They were planted shortly after that time.