Syagrus romanzoffianum

Plant Characteristics

Habit		palm-cycad
Height:	⇕	50 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 50.
Width:	⇔	25 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 25.
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun
Features:	✓	edible, fruit
USDA Zones:		9 to 12

Scientific Names

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Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queen Palm or Cocos Palm) is a palm native to South America, from northern Argentina north to eastern Brazil and west to eastern Bolivia. It is very similar to the coconut palm. It had been classified within the Cocos genus as Cocos plumosa, was assigned to Arecastrum, then moved to Syagrus. As a result of the nomenclature confusion, they often retain a previous, incorrect name in popular usage. It is a medium-sized palm, growing to 15 m tall, with pinnate leaves.

The Queen Palm is found in mostly subtropical areas. It's very popular as an ornamental tree and much used in urban landscaping. However, the fronds die early and must be pruned to keep the tree visually pleasing. The sheaths of the pruned fronds remain on the tree for several months and are an ideal breeding place for snails and caterpillars. Its leaves and inflorescences are used as cattle fodder, specially for milking cows. Its fruits are edible, being sought by birds, as well as by mammals, including some wild canids, such as the Pampas Fox and the Crab-eating Fox.

Read about Syagrus romanzoffianum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Syagrus romanzoffiana (syn. Cocos plumosa, Hook. and Cocos Romanzoffiana, Cham.) St. 30-36 ft. high, 10-12 in. thick, ringed at intervals of a foot, clothed near the apex with remnants of the dead petioles: Lvs. erect-spreading, 12-15 ft. long, recurving; petiole a third to half as long as the blade; segms. linear-acuminate, sparse, solitary or mostly in groups of 2-4, 1½ ft. long, deflexed near the apex: spadix usually 3 ft. long and much branched, the branchlets pendular. Cent. Brazil. B.M. 5180.—The chief avenue palm of the genus. A quick grower, ultimately 50 ft. high in S. Fla. and Calif. The slender smooth lobes and heads of graceful recurving Lvs. make this a very attractive tree. CH Possibly conflicting info: Sts. 30-40 ft. high, somewhat fusiform above: Lvs. about half as long as the caudex, the withered ones deflexed, pendent, the upper spreading, often arching; segms. conduplicate at the base, ensiform: spadix about 6 ft. long, at first inclosed in a stout pendulous spathe which appears among the lowest Lvs. S. Brazil near the sea.CH More possibly conflicting info: Cocos australis, Mart. Pindo Palm. Height about 30 ft.: st. erect, columnar, equal, strongly annular above: Lvs. 9-12 ft. long, the sheath fibrous and glabrous; petiole naked; Begins, linear, glaucous, rather rigid: fr. as large as a pigeon's egg, outer pulp sweet, edible, seed oily. Paraguay.—A good grower. Cult, under glass and outdoors in Fla. and Calif. CH Cocos Datil, Drude & Griseb. St. 30 ft. high, 8-12 in. diam.: Lvs. 12-15 ft. long; sheath about 16 in. long; petiole 1½ ft. long, 1⅔ in. wide, ⅔in. thick; segms. linear-acuminate, glaucous, densely crowded in groups of 3 or 4, 150-160 on each side, the lowest 2 ft., middle 2⅓ ft. and apical 1 ft., the uppermost filiform, all narrow, stiff and rigid, the dried Lvs. glaucous green or whitish: spadix 3-3½ ft. long with at least 300 spirally twisted branches. Argentina; isls. and river banks.— The frs. are edible, resembling those of the date palm. Hardier in S. Calif, than C. plumosa, C. flexuosa, and C. Romanzoffiana. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Gallery

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  Inflorescence and infructescence

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  closer view

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  Ripe fruit

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