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Syagrus romanzoffiana

Image of Syagrus romanzoffiana

Doris Happel

Family

Arecaceae

Botanical Name

Syagrus romanzoffiana

Plant Common Name

Queen Palm

General Description

Queen palm is a large solitary palm native to south-central South America with a slender, exceptionally straight gray trunk. The glossy, bright green fronds can drape to the ground. Ivory-colored flowers give rise to orange dates which may attract bats and insects. It clings onto its dead fronds and with lots of fruits, it is a fairly messy plant.

Queen palm requires full sun and well-drained to wet soils and is intolerant of alkaline soils where nutrient deficiencies are expected. It has the potential to be invasive by self-sowing. It also has a tendency of being weak-trunked during tropical storms. Queen palm makes a nice conservatory or atrium specimen. With its lovely feathery fronds and graceful silhouette, it is a nice street tree for subtropical and tropical locales. When grown in clusters of varying heights, it creates one of the most beautiful canopy silhouettes.

Queen palm will readily hybridize with pindo palm (Butia capitata) to create the mule palm (X Butiagrus nabonnandii). Mule palm forms sterile seeds and has variable appearances; those that carry more characteristics of the queen palm parent are faster growing and have frillier fronds.

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    12 - 6

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    9 - 15

  • Sunset Zone

    H1, H2, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

  • Plant Type

    Palm or Cycad

  • Sun Exposure

    Full Sun, Partial Sun

  • Height

    20'-70' / 6.1m - 21.3m (40)

  • Width

    20'-30' / 6.1m - 9.1m (25)

  • Bloom Time

    Summer

  • Native To

    South America, Argentina, Brazil

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic, Neutral

  • Soil Drainage

    Well Drained

  • Soil type

    Loam, Sand

  • Tolerances

    Wet Site

  • Growth Rate

    Very Fast

  • Water Requirements

    Average Water

  • Habit

    Upright/Erect

  • Seasonal Interest

    Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    White, Ivory

  • Fruit Color

    Orange

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Summer)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Fall)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Winter)

    Dark Green

  • Bark Color

    Gray

  • Fragrant Flowers

    No

  • Fragrant Fruit

    No

  • Fragrant Foliage

    No

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    No

  • Showy Fruit

    Yes

  • Edible Fruit

    Yes

  • Showy Foliage

    Yes

  • Foliage Texture

    Bold

  • Foliage Sheen

    Glossy

  • Evergreen

    Yes

  • Showy Bark

    Yes

Special Characteristics

  • Bark Texture

    Smooth

  • Usage

    Feature Plant, Street Trees, Tropical

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    No

  • Invasive

    Sometimes

  • Attracts

    Birds

  • Self-Sowing

    Yes