Venezuelan Royal Palm

Roystonea oleracea, the Venezuelan or Caribbean Royal Palm, is a towering, solitary palm native to the southern Caribbean, Venezuela and Colombia. Its smooth gray trunk often bulges near the base, and a glossy green crownshaft carries long, feathery fronds. It is a striking choice for large tropical landscapes. ## Form and foliage Singapore’s National Parks Board describes a palm that can reach 40 m, with ascending to spreading bright green fronds and cream to off-white flowers. Its morphology section calls it fairly fast-growing, while the care section rates growth as moderate. The profile also lists full sun, moderate water, a warm position and moist but well-drained soil. ## Landscape setting This species suits spacious sites such as roadsides and other large-scale tropical plantings. Its tall crown and solitary trunk need generous overhead clearance. Common names recorded by the National Parks Board include Palmiste, Cabbage Palm, Caribbean Royal Palm and West Indian Royal Palm. See the [NParks species profile](https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/5/1/5127) and [Kew Plants of the World Online](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:222805-2). ## Maintenance Grow in full sun and moist, well-drained soil; water during dry periods and allow the root zone to drain between rains.