Site Roystoneas with care

[DoomsDave]

I walked out my door and was greeted by a Roystonea frond (shoe for scale, size 13, 12.5" 32 CM long):

I thought it was impressive. Almost as much as the palm.

[Danilopez89]

Shoot! I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that. (I planted 5 along my driveway)

[Jim in Los Altos]

That's a beautiful royal, Dave. I've got them planted along walkways but they'll be manageable for quite a few years. Have you ever climbed a ladder and cut off a frond and then removed the crown shaft manually before it has a chance to fall and do damage?

[Walter John]

Royals are a must have and yes Dave, I concur, plant with thought...amen bros and sisters, now for a reading from Roger Miller..You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

[palmislandRandy]

Living in South Florida you get used to that distinctive sound of a Royal frond falling..............a crack & a thud.

-Randy

[dalmatiansoap]

ouuuups...

[DoomsDave]

That's a beautiful royal, Dave. I've got them planted along walkways but they'll be manageable for quite a few years. Have you ever climbed a ladder and cut off a frond and then removed the crown shaft manually before it has a chance to fall and do damage?

No.

Once these get tall, there's no ladder tall enough anyway, except for a hook-and-ladder fire truck. This is getting close to that tall already.

So, the leaves will fall, and what's beneath will get banged up a bit. A little fall from a leaf won't hurt the Super Decipiens.

[DoomsDave]

Shoot! I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that. (I planted 5 along my driveway)

If they're far enough away from the cars you won't have a problem. If not, you might want to re-locate some of them, though the real trouble won't start for quite a number of years.

Eventually, they'll get too tall to reach and pull leaves down manually. The leaves will break windows and dent roofs on cars and trucks.

[PalmatierMeg]

Uh-oh. Never beside a driveway unless you don't mind dented hoods and broken windshields. Or you plan to yield the driveway to the palms.

[oliver]

Yes to all the above, and if you own a business, please keep them away from clients and the parking lot. I had to replace a patient's windshield a while back after one of my 50ft Royals dropped a frond on his car. I have considered seriously cutting the tree down since it could have easily hit him or anyone else. That would cost a bit more than the $500 that I had to pay for the windshield. I heard that there have been some serious, multi-million dollar law suits in Florida about this situation! And not to change the topic, but you folks in California should maybe be glad that coconuts don't fare too well. I read something a while back that there has been 10's if not 100's of millions paid out by tropical resorts for people being injured/killed by falling cocco's. I wonder if Keith Richards got anything????

[Jim in Los Altos]

That's a beautiful royal, Dave. I've got them planted along walkways but they'll be manageable for quite a few years. Have you ever climbed a ladder and cut off a frond and then removed the crown shaft manually before it has a chance to fall and do damage?

No.

Once these get tall, there's no ladder tall enough anyway, except for a hook-and-ladder fire truck. This is getting close to that tall already.

So, the leaves will fall, and what's beneath will get banged up a bit. A little fall from a leaf won't hurt the Super Decipiens.

Dave, I have an extendable pole saw that is 25 feet long and cuts through petioles like a hot knife through butter. A fifteen foot latter means I can trim off dying fronds nearly forty feet up. Crown shafts essentially stay attached to the trunk longer without the weight of the fronds tugging at them, thus weighing less since they have more time to dry out. I'm still trimming a Washingtonia that's three stories high and without a ladder.

[Danilopez89]

That's a beautiful royal, Dave. I've got them planted along walkways but they'll be manageable for quite a few years. Have you ever climbed a ladder and cut off a frond and then removed the crown shaft manually before it has a chance to fall and do damage?

No.

Once these get tall, there's no ladder tall enough anyway, except for a hook-and-ladder fire truck. This is getting close to that tall already.

So, the leaves will fall, and what's beneath will get banged up a bit. A little fall from a leaf won't hurt the Super Decipiens.

Dave, I have an extendable pole saw that is 25 feet long and cuts through petioles like a hot knife through butter. A fifteen foot latter means I can trim off dying fronds nearly forty feet up. Crown shafts essentially stay attached to the trunk longer without the weight of the fronds tugging at them, thus weighing less since they have more time to dry out. I'm still trimming a Washingtonia that's three stories high and without a ladder.

You are a dangerous man Jim. I promised myself I would never climb my washingtonia ever again, and mine was only 2 story high at the most at that time. I'd rather pay someone $30 now.

[Danilopez89]

Shoot! I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that. (I planted 5 along my driveway)

If they're far enough away from the cars you won't have a problem. If not, you might want to re-locate some of them, though the real trouble won't start for quite a number of years.

Eventually, they'll get too tall to reach and pull leaves down manually. The leaves will break windows and dent roofs on cars and trucks.

Yes I've been warned before thanks. I have a theory though!!! I've been noticing that the Royals around here do this...

It seems that they completely "dry up" up there before they fall down. So they wont be as heavy... also they take several weeks to fall off when they go brown.

[Danilopez89]

The second one did the same thing. I saw the frond "hanging by a thread" for at least two weeks before it fell off.

[Josh-O]

I just planted out two Puerto Rican royals with this problem in mind..lol

[DoomsDave]

Yes to all the above, and if you own a business, please keep them away from clients and the parking lot. I had to replace a patient's windshield a while back after one of my 50ft Royals dropped a frond on his car. I have considered seriously cutting the tree down since it could have easily hit him or anyone else. That would cost a bit more than the $500 that I had to pay for the windshield. I heard that there have been some serious, multi-million dollar law suits in Florida about this situation! And not to change the topic, but you folks in California should maybe be glad that coconuts don't fare too well. I read something a while back that there has been 10's if not 100's of millions paid out by tropical resorts for people being injured/killed by falling cocco's. I wonder if Keith Richards got anything????

Yeah that would be annoying, for anyone. Including a personal injury lawyer.

After the Hoopers' hassle, I made sure to keep them away from cars. If they bang up plants? Well, that's okay. Plants won't sue.

[DoomsDave]

The second one did the same thing. I saw the frond "hanging by a thread" for at least two weeks before it fell off.

Yeah, that's no help. They dangle there.

When is that !@#*@&^%$(&@^! thing going to fall!

Then, you turn your back a second

CRASH

That is a satisfying sound. Something significant just happened.

[DoomsDave]

I just planted out two Puerto Rican royals with this problem in mind..lol

THey're not quite as big and heavy.

But big and heavy enough.

Hope you put at least five feet between the palms and the concrete.

[Josh-O]

what happened with the Hoopers hassle?

[Danilopez89]

The second one did the same thing. I saw the frond "hanging by a thread" for at least two weeks before it fell off.

Yeah, that's no help. They dangle there.

When is that !@#*@&^%$(&@^! thing going to fall!

Then, you turn your back a second

CRASH

That is a satisfying sound. Something significant just happened.

Yes Dave but at least it's a long warning. Not like at the more tropical places where they'll fall off "green" and heavy. My main point is that I they'll completely dry out before they fall. At least that's my theory for "desert royals". At least that's what I hope actually. Lol

[DoomsDave]

what happened with the Hoopers hassle?

They took their royal out. A guy bought it. It was well over 60 feet tall. It was [expletive] MAGNIFICIENT! But, it dented the roofs of their cars when the leaves fell.

[DoomsDave]

The second one did the same thing. I saw the frond "hanging by a thread" for at least two weeks before it fell off.

Yeah, that's no help. They dangle there.

When is that !@#*@&^%$(&@^! thing going to fall!

Then, you turn your back a second

CRASH

That is a satisfying sound. Something significant just happened.

Yes Dave but at least it's a long warning. Not like at the more tropical places where they'll fall off "green" and heavy. My main point is that I they'll completely dry out before they fall. At least that's my theory for "desert royals". At least that's what I hope actually. Lol

I'll pray with you!

[Stevetoad]

Whoo that's a big leaf. Guess one would fill your green trash by itself

[Jim in Los Altos]

That's a beautiful royal, Dave. I've got them planted along walkways but they'll be manageable for quite a few years. Have you ever climbed a ladder and cut off a frond and then removed the crown shaft manually before it has a chance to fall and do damage?

No.

Once these get tall, there's no ladder tall enough anyway, except for a hook-and-ladder fire truck. This is getting close to that tall already.

So, the leaves will fall, and what's beneath will get banged up a bit. A little fall from a leaf won't hurt the Super Decipiens.

Dave, I have an extendable pole saw that is 25 feet long and cuts through petioles like a hot knife through butter. A fifteen foot latter means I can trim off dying fronds nearly forty feet up. Crown shafts essentially stay attached to the trunk longer without the weight of the fronds tugging at them, thus weighing less since they have more time to dry out. I'm still trimming a Washingtonia that's three stories high and without a ladder.

You are a dangerous man Jim. I promised myself I would never climb my washingtonia ever again, and mine was only 2 story high at the most at that time. I'd rather pay someone $30 now.

Pedro, I don't climb it. I trim it from the ground.

[Kostas]

Great pictures everyone and thanks for sharing Dave! I loved the royals in Florida and the sheer size of their leafs. They get even bigger there! I must say I love falling palm leafs, the crack and crash sound they make when detaching and hitting the ground is like Dave described: another significant thing happened

I really don't get it why they sue for property damage/personal injury by plants there. Anyone should use common sense when parking his car, walking, lying under a tree or doing anything for that matter. What gives one the power to sue for failing to use common sense, I don't get it. Here they don't sue for any of these, they just call their insurance to pay for the damages if they have coverage, otherwise pay them themselves. Why try to baby-proof the world?

While at a well known attraction in Tampa, I was passing under a very tall and beautiful W. robusta and happened to stand around there waiting for my company, when I heard the typical slight crack... I just run out the leaf crashing zone and the leaf fell right to the side of me, where I was standing before. Just common sense.

[PalmatierMeg]

Here in FL we get violent thunderstorms with gale force+ winds (just two nights ago). Winds like that can rip a green, fully hydrated frond right off a royal and throw it halfway across the yard - things must weigh nigh on 100 lbs. Even dried out they weigh more than I can lift.

Businesses plant royals all over public places. I don't hear or see much damage the falling fronds cause, which is surprising. I did see an Adonidia that keeled over onto a pickup parked in front of it. But as they are ubiquitous people can't be expected to constantly look up when they park or walk. And the 1000s of tourists and snow birds are pretty much clueless about everything above and around them.

[DoomsDave]

Whoo that's a big leaf. Guess one would fill your green trash by itself

That's my Bigfoot shoe on there, too. And that leaf's NOT from my biggest Royal.

That's Spanky in the middle. Skinny Alfalfa is about 2/3 as hefty.

Butch is about 25% larger than Spanky with falling leaves to match. (Mommy!)

Butch dropped a leaf, which I (mostly) shredded, leaving the base. Maybe a pic this evening.

[DoomsDave]

Great pictures everyone and thanks for sharing Dave! I loved the royals in Florida and the sheer size of their leafs. They get even bigger there! I must say I love falling palm leafs, the crack and crash sound they make when detaching and hitting the ground is like Dave described: another significant thing happened

I really don't get it why they sue for property damage/personal injury by plants there. Anyone should use common sense when parking his car, walking, lying under a tree or doing anything for that matter. What gives one the power to sue for failing to use common sense, I don't get it. Here they don't sue for any of these, they just call their insurance to pay for the damages if they have coverage, otherwise pay them themselves. Why try to baby-proof the world?

While at a well known attraction in Tampa, I was passing under a very tall and beautiful W. robusta and happened to stand around there waiting for my company, when I heard the typical slight crack... I just run out the leaf crashing zone and the leaf fell right to the side of me, where I was standing before. Just common sense.

Insurance won't always pay. (Sometimes you have to sue them to get them to pay.)

As Meg pointed out, most people don't look up anyway.

[nachocarl]

I need to get a royal, they're beefy!

[DoomsDave]

I need to get a royal, they're beefy!

They're beefy, but spongy inside. They don't stop cars well.

[Kostas]

Meg,

We get such winds in western Peloponesse too and sometimes roofs not built well enough come right off. It's great to see all those royals planted around Florida and without damage complaints!

It's true most people don't tend to look up all that much but it's a must when you walk through a forest or even inhabited areas with pots overhanging walkways... Snowbirds also do know to watch out above them for icicles and tree branches that got too heavy from snow. So it's in everyday life

Dave,

I am not talking about the palm owner's insurance but the insurance of the person receiving the damage(palm owner or not). Here it is considered as natural destruction(same as tree fall, falling tree branches, etc) and covered by the insurance in general

[DoomsDave]

M,

Dave,

I am not talking about the palm owner's insurance but the insurance of the person receiving the damage(palm owner or not). Here it is considered as natural destruction(same as tree fall, falling tree branches, etc) and covered by the insurance in general

We don't have the kind of insurance you're speaking of. Wish we did.