Crazy Variegated Royal Palm

[pg6922]

I have driven by this house many times and have never noticed it. I dont know how I could have ever missed it but man what a stunner. I almost broke my neck the first time I drove by. Anyways, absolutly the prettiest roystonia regia crownshaft I have ever seen. It appears to be a random planting and not a collectors house. All I had was my digital camera so the pics arent the best. I'll go back with my Nikon.

Enjoy,

PG

[www.dadluvsu.com]

WOW!!! Even got reddish pinky coloration! That makes me think all royal aren't bad... It is so whimsical! I would have that one.

[Ken Johnson]

They have the drain pipe going the wrong way!

[PalmGuyWC]

Wow!

What a stunner, with a nice fat trunk too. I wonder if they know what they have? I bet not.

Dick

[DoomsDave]

WOW!

Looks like a giant mint-and-lemon candy stick . . . .

[kylecawazafla]

Roystonea regia 'Watermelon'

[surferjr]

Wow :drool: That is a beauty!

Truly a legendary palm!

[Eric in Orlando]

That has to be the coolest and best variegated palm I have seen.

Wonder if seeds will germinated variegated?

[freakypalmguy]

That is saweet. Nice find.

[edric]

Very nice, indeed, Ed

[bubba]

Sweet!

[osideterry]

I wasn't aware a variegated crownshaft was possible. If it were April Fool's Day I'd be suspicious of Photoshoppery! (It would take several hours to pull that off)

I wonder if you knocked on their door and offered them $500, including digging and replacing with a "healthy" green one, they would go for it?

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Or even better, they could give you $500 and you would haul away this "weak gened palm" for a healthy replacement.

[palmislandRandy]

Offer to replace their "diseased" palm with a nice green one!

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Cool, very cool!

[Gbarce]

Wow that's a gorgeous palm.

How is the variegation pattern on the leaves? Are they variegated in big patches or distributed very evenly in each leaflet??

[pg6922]

Wow that's a gorgeous palm.

How is the variegation pattern on the leaves? Are they variegated in big patches or distributed very evenly in each leaflet??

Its hard to tell cause all the leaflets that were variegated were toasty. But it appears that this is quite a bit of leaflet variegation not just patches.

The house looks like it belongs to snow birds. I dont think they are down yet. But, I will investigate.

My approach might be something like this.

Dear Mr and Mrs Joe six pack,

I am writing you concerning the 4 royals you have planted in your landscaping. While driving by and admiring your landscape, one Royal in particular stood out. It has yellow banding up and down the green part of the trunk as well as the leaves. This is unusual for a Royal palm and unfortunately home owners think that it looks sick because of the yellowing and have them removed. The yellowing is called variegation caused by the lack of the chlorophyl. Chlorophyl allows the palm to produce energy. Palms can be weaker because of this and will tend to have some burned leaves most of the time.

Truth is, even though it has less than perfect traits, I find it unique and interesting.

If you also admire these traits and plan on keeping the palm in its current state, GREAT! I will continue to enjoy its looks as I drive by.

But, if for some reason you thought the palm was sick and did not care for this look, I would hate to see it cut down removed and discarded. If it ever came to that, I would happily dig the palm for transpant and replace it with an all green one of the same size.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Nicest variegated crownshaft I have ever seen!

Great letter too.

[Palm Hound]

That has glorious coloration. If you got it would you put it in less than full sun?

[BS Man about Palms]

Speechless. Really.

[_Keith]

Wow that's a gorgeous palm.

How is the variegation pattern on the leaves? Are they variegated in big patches or distributed very evenly in each leaflet??

Its hard to tell cause all the leaflets that were variegated were toasty. But it appears that this is quite a bit of leaflet variegation not just patches.

The house looks like it belongs to snow birds. I dont think they are down yet. But, I will investigate.

My approach might be something like this.

Dear Mr and Mrs Joe six pack,

I am writing you concerning the 4 royals you have planted in your landscaping. While driving by and admiring your landscape, one Royal in particular stood out. It has yellow banding up and down the green part of the trunk as well as the leaves. This is unusual for a Royal palm and unfortunately home owners think that it looks sick because of the yellowing and have them removed. The yellowing is called variegation caused by the lack of the chlorophyl. Chlorophyl allows the palm to produce energy. Palms can be weaker because of this and will tend to have some burned leaves most of the time.

Truth is, even though it has less than perfect traits, I find it unique and interesting.

If you also admire these traits and plan on keeping the palm in its current state, GREAT! I will continue to enjoy its looks as I drive by.

But, if for some reason you thought the palm was sick and did not care for this look, I would hate to see it cut down removed and discarded. If it ever came to that, I would happily dig the palm for transpant and replace it with an all green one of the same size.

Go for it. Nothing to lose and maybe an incredible palm to gain.

[JEFF from Trabuco Canyon CA]

Very nice!

[TikiRick]

Truly remarkable...especially with the red as well.

However, from my experience it will burn up in the hot summer sun and look ratty most of the time....is the varigation also as prominent on the fronds?

[PalmatierMeg]

Patrick, you find the coolest palms in your travels.

Maybe, after the snowbirds fly north for the summer, you can dig up this beauty and replace it with a "normal" green version. When the 'birds fly back next winter, they would think their royal had outgrown its yellowing issues.

Okay, I'm devious. But I would love to have one of those.

[Guest LeftCoastAngler]

Wow. Lemme pick my jaw up off the floor!

I too am pretty much speechless...

...just when you thought you'd seen it all.

~LCA.

[iamjv]

Gorgeous royal! Wonder if the seeds would produce similar offsrping???

p.s. like you letter approach and truly think it's a good idea. It wouldn't hurt and just might safe the palm... Jv

[palmislandRandy]

Let us know when it ends up at your place!

[ruskinPalms]

I am loving the crownshaft on this but I have to admit that I would not care for the sun burn that the leaflets would always have to endure. Remember, this is a Roystonea and it would outgrow any shade that you try to plant it in rather quickly. It would be nice palm to ship to a coastal/cool area like out in California where maybe the fogs could keep it from getting so crispy.

[Jose Maria]

Hi friends,

A truly outsanding palm.

I read some of us would like one like it in thier front yard.I guess this is a possibility using tissue culture.

Palms have meristemes in flowers, points of roots and of course the growing point, heart of palm. Harvesting the last one woul kill the palm...not on the agenda!

The other meristems can be cultivated and any amount of "Clones" can be made with the same charateristics of the original palm.

Where I live in Costa Rica this is done every day with african oil palm; to get the best producing ones , they are reproduced in a lab, and sold as "clones", very high yielding palms.( they are sold for 8$ each)The company is called ASD.

I believe in the USA, and in Florida, there must be labs with the right technology and capable of getting us some clones of this Roystonea.???

[Davidl]

Nice looking royal for sure and I have never seen a variegated one before so that's quit a treat. Can someone tell me what a snow bird is ? is this it ? just kidding I think I know and have seen some lately.

[Eric in Orlando]

I am loving the crownshaft on this but I have to admit that I would not care for the sun burn that the leaflets would always have to endure. Remember, this is a Roystonea and it would outgrow any shade that you try to plant it in rather quickly. It would be nice palm to ship to a coastal/cool area like out in California where maybe the fogs could keep it from getting so crispy.

A botanical garden would be a good home for this specimen. We have some cold protected areas with bright filtered light under some tall live oaks that it would have plenty of room to grow...

That is one cool palm!

[rozpalm]

What a nice palm. I wouldn't think twice about buying one.

[Moose]

I have never even heard of one let alone seen one. I had a friend that grew royals by the tens of thousands for the field nursery trade and still we never saw one. The variegation is a genetic mutation and the seedlings produced from this palm do not have a good chance of being variegated. From the looks of the palm, 7-10 years more until it seeds, if it survives severe cold fronts and lightning strikes.

[Bigfish]

If it is a genetic mutation, which I believe that it probably is also, a percentage of the seedlings should come up variegated. Maybe not a big percentage, but a percentage nonetheless. It would be worth watching it closely over the next few years and waiting for it to seed. You now have your assignment. Good luck.

Beautiful palm! Nice enough to draw me out of Lurkdom, lol.

[DoomsDave]

Speechless. Really.

SERIOUSLY!

[DoomsDave]

If it is a genetic mutation, which I believe that it probably is also, a percentage of the seedlings should come up variegated. Maybe not a big percentage, but a percentage nonetheless. It would be worth watching it closely over the next few years and waiting for it to seed. You now have your assignment. Good luck.

Beautiful palm! Nice enough to draw me out of Lurkdom, lol.

fRANK!

Ahem.

Lurk no more, tell us more about you, your palms, etc.

there are no dumb questions, all are welcome.

(Makes it harder for the men/women in the white suits to catch us!)

[Bigfish]

If it is a genetic mutation, which I believe that it probably is also, a percentage of the seedlings should come up variegated. Maybe not a big percentage, but a percentage nonetheless. It would be worth watching it closely over the next few years and waiting for it to seed. You now have your assignment. Good luck.

Beautiful palm! Nice enough to draw me out of Lurkdom, lol.

fRANK!

Ahem.

Lurk no more, tell us more about you, your palms, etc.

there are no dumb questions, all are welcome.

(Makes it harder for the men/women in the white suits to catch us!)

I think I average about 1 post per year, so I am now over my limit, LOL.

Here's another variegated Royal I found while browsing: http://www.seabreezenurseries.com/Miami08024b.jpg

I was beside myself earlier last fall when I went to repot a compot of Nannorrhops ritchiana 'Kashmir' seedlings, and killed a beautifully variegated seedling in the pot. Can't seem to keep the variegates alive for too long.

[JD in the OC]

Frank,

Ya, I found that one in Miami. We couldn't believe that it hadn't been removed or replaced for so long. Most average people don't like putting up with the "sickly" variegated look.

JD

[palmislandRandy]

Hi friends,

A truly outsanding palm.

I read some of us would like one like it in thier front yard.I guess this is a possibility using tissue culture.

Palms have meristemes in flowers, points of roots and of course the growing point, heart of palm. Harvesting the last one woul kill the palm...not on the agenda!

The other meristems can be cultivated and any amount of "Clones" can be made with the same charateristics of the original palm.

Where I live in Costa Rica this is done every day with african oil palm; to get the best producing ones , they are reproduced in a lab, and sold as "clones", very high yielding palms.( they are sold for 8$ each)The company is called ASD.

I believe in the USA, and in Florida, there must be labs with the right technology and capable of getting us some clones of this Roystonea.???

ASD, Costa Rica...Interesting company and website. Interesting reading! Thanks

http://www.asd-cr.com/paginas/english/index.html

[The Germinator]

How is it we are disgusted with mutations on fellow humans but love them on plants. Imagine if Dave was varigated everyone would stare at him and talk about him. He would never get this kind of praise.