Roystonea oleracea

Common names

Caribee Palm, Barbados Royal Palm, Venezuelan Royal Palm.

Curiosities

Named oleracea because of the commercial oil that can be extracted from the fruit. The palm heart is edible and fruits are used as pig food.

Origin

Eastern Caribbean: Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Dominica, Guadalupe, Martinique, Guyana.

Habitat

Lowland areas and small hills.

Morphology

A single, smooth trunk, with a swollen base and a sharp top, reaching 30 m of height. A big crown with leaves around 7 m long. Very bright, light green leaves, the leaflets growing in a single plane. Ovoid fruit, changing from purple to black as it ripens.

Climate

Tropical and subtropical, although it seems to cope also in warm temperate climate.

Germination

Seeds easily germinate in 1 to 4 months. 

Growing

Prefers a sunny, moist position, and doesn’t mind wet feet. A very fast grower once it starts trunking.