Royestona regia growth rate

[NC_Palms]

A few years back I germinated a few Royestona regia seeds. They are doing well in my heated greenhouse but I am shocked with how slow they grow. Are they really this slow growing of a palm? 

[TampaBayRay]

How many hrs light are they getting?

They grow like rockets in summer heat

[aztropic]

A picture would help ... How tall are they in what time period? 1ft,2ft,3ft? Royals grown entirely outside in my less than optimum conditions reach 3-4 ft tall in 3 or 4 years from seed.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Barry]

The hardest growing time for these is from seeds to 3 ft tall. Then they explode with growth rate, especially in the ground.

[James B]

These palms require hot weather, insane amounts of water, and sun. If you are in the Carolinas these palms are not close to your zone. Even in a green house, angle of the sun due to how far north you are will negatively affect this palm. 

[NC_Palms]

4 hours ago, TampaBayRay said:

How many hrs light are they getting?

They grow like rockets in summer heat

maybe they’re not getting enough sunlight due to being overcrowded by everything else? I’ll see if I can put them in a sunnier spot

 

[NC_Palms]

1 hour ago, Barry said:

The hardest growing time for these is from seeds to 3 ft tall. Then they explode with growth rate, especially in the ground.

This explains it. Theyre maybe only 6 inches tall at most 

[NC_Palms]

17 minutes ago, James B said:

These palms require hot weather, insane amounts of water, and sun. If you are in the Carolinas these palms are not close to your zone. Even in a green house, angle of the sun due to how far north you are will negatively affect this palm. 

Yes but I’m able to grow way less hardier plants like coconuts in my greenhouse without any problems. I’ve noticed a ton of tropical plants prefer the less intense, winter sunlight hours and a controlled environment than the summer temperatures here. I kinda prefer this method of growing palms tbh

[DoomsDave]

25 minutes ago, NC_Palms said:

Yes but I’m able to grow way less hardier plants like coconuts in my greenhouse without any problems. I’ve noticed a ton of tropical plants prefer the less intense, winter sunlight hours and a controlled environment than the summer temperatures here. I kinda prefer this method of growing palms tbh

Great, but the thing about Royals is once they get going they get huge fast, like, kinda surreal.

Here's one of mine, planted back in 2004, when it was like 18" tall. I didn't plant it from seed, bought the baby at Home Depot for my fall birthday that year.   (Getting old can be cool, sometimes!)  Point being, it won't stay in your greenhouse for long, unless you've got like the Crystal Palace in UK. 

[NC_Palms]

7 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Great, but the thing about Royals is once they get going they get huge fast, like, kinda surreal.

Here's one of mine, planted back in 2004, when it was like 18" tall. I didn't plant it from seed, bought the baby at Home Depot for my fall birthday that year.   (Getting old can be cool, sometimes!)  Point being, it won't stay in your greenhouse for long, unless you've got like the Crystal Palace in UK.

If all goes well, i’ll be living someplace much warmer in the next year or so and naturally all my plants will be coming with me = ) 

[DoomsDave]

11 minutes ago, NC_Palms said:

If all goes well, i’ll be living someplace much warmer in the next year or so and naturally all my plants will be coming with me = ) 

Good on you mate as they say in Oz! Hope it’s far enough south for royals to grow happily. 
 

You have a lot of company, including me. I roared out here 38 years ago, don’t regret a nanosecond!

 

[NC_Palms]

31 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Good on you mate as they say in Oz! Hope it’s far enough south for royals to grow happily. 
 

You have a lot of company, including me. I roared out here 38 years ago, don’t regret a nanosecond!

 

Thank you! Im hoping to end up in South Florida and eventually follow my dream of opening up a palm nursery. Something i’ve always been considering for about a decade now. 

[DoomsDave]

25 minutes ago, NC_Palms said:

Thank you! Im hoping to end up in South Florida and eventually follow my dream of opening up a palm nursery. Something i’ve always been considering for about a decade now. 

Good for you!

 

[Bkue]

I have 3 planted beginning of year. Much growth. Hoping this winter doesn’t take them out.15ft or so with 3ft of grey wood. 

[hbernstein]

I dare say that Royals, given optimal environmental conditions, are some of the fastest growing palms. As stated earlier in this thread: wet, wet, wet, hot, and sunny.

[Than]

I feel you. Mine is also super slow. It is one year old and only has produced 4 leaves so far, including the cotyledon. And for some reason the youngest leaf is chlorotic. I still keep it outdoors as temperatures haven't gone below 43F (6 C) yet. Right now it is 57F outside. I keep it in a small pot to be fair, as I am afraid to repot at such small size. Medium is just coco coir, so poor, but I did give it iron, and very diluted fertilizer occasionally. Here is a photo taken today. The new leaf is actually more yellow-ish than it looks in the photo.

 

[EPaul]

Greenville, NC is about 35.6 degrees latitude north. Lose Angeles, CA is approx. 34.0 degrees. I'm not sure that's a significant enough difference in solar intensity between the two areas to be the sole reason you're not having more success in a greenhouse. Although, for reference, the native areas for Roystonea Regia, in Florida, are at around 25-26 degrees north.

Edited January 3 by EPaul

[Harry’s Palms]

I am about an hour north of Los Angeles and 20 miles inland. I have a Venezuelan Royal that I bought at Jungle Music in Encinitas in a 5 gal pot. Phil said it would not make it where I live . That was about 25 years ago and the first few years were slow . It is now catching up to my Queen Palm! It has not seen anything below 38 f as far as I know , but they really don’t like cold. It would prefer being in a sub tropical climate but it is now starting to look better every year. I just started fertilizing last season to beef it up. This was last year just before spring.

Edited January 4 by Harry’s Palms

[Than]

11 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I am about an hour north of Los Angeles and 20 miles inland. I have a Venezuelan Royal that I bought at Jungle Music in Encinitas in a 5 gal pot. Phil said it would not make it where I live . That was about 25 years ago and the first few years were slow . It is now catching up to my Queen Palm! It has not seen anything below 38 f as far as I know , but they really don’t like cold. It would prefer being in a sub tropical climate but it is now starting to look better every year. I just started fertilizing last season to beef it up. This was last year just before spring.

20 miles inland and it has never seen below 38F? How do you do that?

[Phoenikakias]

27 minutes ago, ego said:

20 miles inland and it has never seen below 38F? How do you do that?

Because he lives in a latitude like the one of southern Crete or perhaps even closer to equator?

[Than]

19 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Because he lives in a latitude like the one of southern Crete or perhaps even closer to equator?

Life sux

[Phoenikakias]

16 minutes ago, ego said:

Life sux

Now that was something new lol

[Than]

2 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Now that was something new lol

Some people live in zone 7 or 6 and they know they can't grow most palms. Some people live in zone 11 or 12 and know they can grow almost any palm. But we, Sir, are the most miserable of all: we live in the middle. In the gap. In the unknown. In 9b/10a. We hope we can grow lots but we know we may not be able to do it. We live in doubt and we always have to try hard and yet go through disappointments and failures. No wonder our mental health is in tatters 

[Harry’s Palms]

1 hour ago, ego said:

20 miles inland and it has never seen below 38F? How do you do that?

I live on a South facing hill about 300 or so feet above the town. As I go down the hill there will occasionally be frost on the houses and cars but none up on our yard.

[NC_Palms]

On 1/2/2024 at 5:20 PM, aztropic said:

A picture would help ... How tall are they in what time period? 1ft,2ft,3ft? Royals grown entirely outside in my less than optimum conditions reach 3-4 ft tall in 3 or 4 years from seed.

 

Here’s a pic. Looking back, it did grow a ton since the start of the winter. Still looks like a blade of grass though 

[NC_Palms]

4 hours ago, Than said:

Some people live in zone 7 or 6 and they know they can't grow most palms. Some people live in zone 11 or 12 and know they can grow almost any palm. But we, Sir, are the most miserable of all: we live in the middle. In the gap. In the unknown. In 9b/10a. We hope we can grow lots but we know we may not be able to do it. We live in doubt and we always have to try hard and yet go through disappointments and failures. No wonder our mental health is in tatters 

This truly explains what is like growing in the Carolinas lol… especially as someone who prefers zone pushing 

[DoomsDave]

On 1/3/2024 at 10:38 AM, Than said:

I feel you. Mine is also super slow. It is one year old and only has produced 4 leaves so far, including the cotyledon. And for some reason the youngest leaf is chlorotic. I still keep it outdoors as temperatures haven't gone below 43F (6 C) yet. Right now it is 57F outside. I keep it in a small pot to be fair, as I am afraid to repot at such small size. Medium is just coco coir, so poor, but I did give it iron, and very diluted fertilizer occasionally. Here is a photo taken today. The new leaf is actually more yellow-ish than it looks in the photo.

 

They’re slow to start in temperate climates, like ours. But, take good care of it and it will grow, whooeee!

[Phoenikakias]

On 1/2/2024 at 11:36 PM, NC_Palms said:

A few years back I germinated a few Royestona regia seeds. They are doing well in my heated greenhouse but I am shocked with how slow they grow. Are they really this slow growing of a palm? 

To my experience they are slow in  the first two years and then take off! BUT under one condition: that their root system will be restricted as less as possible!!! This is the key, royals produce an extensive root system and accordingly gain height rapidly. Gain of girth is another story though. Practically this means that a grower in a greenhouse will have to pot up young plants frequently, even twice within a growing season. And exactly this is the main issue if raising a royal to an outplantable size inside an amateur greenhouse or cold frame; by the time it reaches this size, it will be too tall and within a too big pot to be accommodated in such a structure and still it will be missing the necessary girth to pull through the outdoor winter conditions in the marginal climate zones. No wonder that in Spain most royal exemplars are field grown in the Canary Islands.

[NC_Palms]

3 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

To my experience they are slow in  the first two years and then take off! BUT under one condition: that their root system will be restricted as less as possible!!! This is the key, royals produce an extensive root system and accordingly gain height rapidly. Gain of girth is another story though. Practically this means that a grower in a greenhouse will have to pot up young plants frequently, even twice within a growing season. And exactly this is the main issue if raising a royal to an outplantable size inside an amateur greenhouse or cold frame; by the time it reaches this size, it will be too tall and within a too big pot to be accommodated in such a structure and still it will be missing the necessary girth to pull through the outdoor winter conditions in the marginal climate zones. No wonder that in Spain most royal exemplars are field grown in the Canary Islands.

by that time this little palm will definitely be in the ground someplace way warmer than here 

[Phoenikakias]

6 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

They’re slow to start in temperate climates, like ours. But, take good care of it and it will grow, whooeee!

Just like mine... It originates from a Floridian elata seed, dunno if this makes any difference lol

[Than]

11 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

To my experience they are slow in  the first two years and then take off! BUT under one condition: that their root system will be restricted as less as possible!!! This is the key, royals produce an extensive root system and accordingly gain height rapidly. Gain of girth is another story though. Practically this means that a grower in a greenhouse will have to pot up young plants frequently, even twice within a growing season. And exactly this is the main issue if raising a royal to an outplantable size inside an amateur greenhouse or cold frame; by the time it reaches this size, it will be too tall and within a too big pot to be accommodated in such a structure and still it will be missing the necessary girth to pull through the outdoor winter conditions in the marginal climate zones. No wonder that in Spain most royal exemplars are field grown in the Canary Islands.

Aha, this can explain why mine is so shy. Do you think it is safe to repot now? It's on its 4th leaf (in the photo you can't see the third one as it was broken by my lovely monster cat).

[Phoenikakias]

3 minutes ago, Than said:

Aha, this can explain why mine is so shy. Do you think it is safe to repot now? It's on its 4th leaf (in the photo you can't see the third one as it was broken by my lovely monster cat).

NEVER in the mid of winter. Coldest air temperature sets in 4 weeks after solstice and in another 4 weeks sets in coldest soil temperature.

[Than]

22 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

NEVER in the mid of winter. Coldest air temperature sets in 4 weeks after solstice and in another 4 weeks sets in coldest soil temperature.

It's gonna be indoors under grow lights. 

[Phoenikakias]

1 hour ago, Than said:

It's gonna be indoors under grow lights. 

You would still miss warmth in the root zone.  An imbalance between light intensity and temperature should better be avoided.

[D. Morrowii]

I have a pretty good timeline on one that I’m growing from a batch of seeds I “planter poached” back in late 2020. The seeds germinated sometime around Christmas and I do remember a slow period once the first strap leaf was all the way open. Once the 3rd strap leaf came out it took off like a rocket. Probably the fastest palm in the yard. I’ll date the pics. 
April 2021

March 2022 

April 2022

January 5 2024 - this is 3 years from germination, crazy. 

[kinzyjr]

Similar experience to @D. Morrowii

Seeds bought at the October 2018 Fall CFPACS Meeting at what is now Saint Johns Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve sprouted with a single leaf emerging December 19th, 2018:

A photo from 10/18/2020; two years after the seeds were bought with the young palm in the ground near the front of the property.

A photo from October 2021 showing this palm starting to show some maturity:

Just before the Christmas Freeze in at the end of 2022 (12/23/2022):

October 15th, 2023 - 5 years and 3 days after the seeds were purchased at the Fall 2018 CFPACS Meeting.  If winter is kind to it, it should eclipse the seed-grown Phoenix dactylifera beside it next growing season:

BONUS: Yes, they do grow in the cool season.  December 23rd, 2023

[ruskinPalms]

They grow pretty fast here in the ground. Aug 2019 to a shot a took tonight. 

[ruskinPalms]

To be fair, I don’t think the water table is deep here so this one has probably mainlined into unlimited water lol 

[NC_Palms]

Wow @ruskinPalms@kinzyjrthat growth is crazy. Makes me think i’m doing something wrong, but i’ll keep everyone posted with how my regia does in the next few months 

[Than]

14 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

Wow @ruskinPalms@kinzyjrthat growth is crazy. Makes me think i’m doing something wrong, but i’ll keep everyone posted with how my regia does in the next few months 

Yes you are doing smth wrong, you don't live in Florida! I am also feeling sh*t right now too cos obviousy I am doing things wrong (wrong medium, pot too small, yard not bright enough...) but yeah, no matter what we do, we cannot have Florida's perfect climate.