Roystonea princeps

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

I spent a couple weeks in Jamaica over the holidays and took lots of photos of Roystonea princeps. This Royal is native to Jamaica and can be found growing in and around the Great Morass which is a coastal flood plain (turned into a Reserve) located near Negril. Ever since Lethal Yellowing killed most of the Jamaican Tall Coconuts, this native Royal has been used more and more in landscapes. I can't be 100% sure that all the Royals in these photos are actually Roystonea princeps, some could be R. altissima, but I do not know how to tell them apart. They are supposed to be very similar.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

With a curved trunk

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Here's a few photos from a couple years ago when I visited the Royal Palm Preserve.

Roystonea princeps in habitat

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

For comparison, here is a Cuban Royal (Roystonea regia) growing in Negril. There are a few of these growing around town.

[quaman58]

Here's a few photos from a couple years ago when I visited the Royal Palm Preserve.

Roystonea princeps in habitat

Great habitat photos Jeff!

[Walter John]

I'm so glad I have a princeps growing here at home base. Those look terrific Jeff, 2nd pic in post #6 is a cracker...

[mlovecan]

Negril is one of my favourite places in the world!

Coincidentally R. princeps is one of my favourite palms - just as beautiful as R. regia but with the ability to fit into a palm collection even in a very small garden. Would love to have an altissimma also - which I'm sure are even more cold-hardy coming from de 'ills ( seems to be quite a hard one to locate - even seeds ).

I noticed the palms of the Great Morass way off in the distance from Negril beach road 22 years before taking the time to go check them out...well worth the trip!!

Even my palm-hating ( or at least palm-heard-enough ) girl-friend seems to be enjoying the place in this shot!

Regards

Maurice

Edited January 19, 2012 by mlovecan

[MattyB]

Cool photos Jeff! Man, that sure is a different look than the other Royals. That crownshaft is almost a powdery green like A. alexandrae.

This is supposedly R. princeps, growing next door to PogoBob's!

[mlovecan]

Cool photos Jeff! Man, that sure is a different look than the other Royals. That crownshaft is almost a powdery green like A. alexandrae.

This is supposedly R. princeps, growing next door to PogoBob's!

Yeah, Matty, looks like one to me. There's a comparable size one in habitat in the right of the photo below. They seem to get a little thinner in the trunk later:

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Thanks guys.

Maurice, I've been going to Negril since 1988 and I too remember seeing the Royals in the Great Morass off in the distance. I finally visited the Royal Palm Preserve just two years ago and I'm glad I went. It really was incredible to see them in habitat.

Matt, I noticed the same thing about the crownshaft. R. princeps has a lighter powdery green crownshaft. It definitely has a different look than all the other Royals I have seen. I need to plan a future trip to Jamaica when seeds are dropping.

[mlovecan]

Jeff,

That's funny, my first trip to Negril was in 1988 also. When I lived in Toronto it was a cheap and easy flight and I could go there often.

From Europe, it's quite a trek but I still go every 3 or 4 years with my family ( hope to get out there in May ). My ( our ) only trip to the Morass was in 2008.

In 2008 we stayed at the Negril Beach Club - I didn't realise the place was so into the ground. However, there were a couple nice rasta gardeners there who dug up some volunteer R. princep seedlings for me for a couple of dollars. Of course there's always seesds ( and the rastas have ladders). They told me the mature specimans there existed before the hotel was built - that plot on the beach was the end of the native range.

Regards

Maurice

[mlovecan]

Some of the mature R. princeps at the beach club - you can make out some volunteers on the right in the second photo.

[redant]

A reaaly great looking palm and some great pictures! I have wanted to try this one but have never seen them for sale. Probably to cold for them anyway.

[Eric in Orlando]

The R. princeps we are growing made it through the past 2 cold winters with only minor burn. It doesn't seem any more tender than other Roystonea.

[mlovecan]

My young R. princeps seems to take the cold better than my R. regia did at a comparable size.

Jeff Marcus lists princeps from time to time.

Regards

Maurice

Edited January 20, 2012 by mlovecan