Queen palm overview
The fast, feathery street palm of warm southern landscapes. Plumose fronds and a smooth gray trunk; messy orange fruit and a hard floor of about 25°F.
Region of origin
Brazil to northeastern Argentina
Native countries
Historical discovery
Adelbert von Chamisso published Cocos romanzoffiana in 1822, honoring Count Nikolay Rumyantsev (Romanzoff). Sidney Glassman moved it to Syagrus in 1968.
Names
Common names
Queen palm, Cocos palm, Jerivá
Synonyms
- Cocos romanzoffiana Cham.
- Arecastrum romanzoffianum (Cham.) Becc.
- Cocos plumosa (hort., misapplied)
Cold hardiness
Survives about 25°F / -4°C. Outdoor range USDA 9a–11b. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Switch the U.S. map between states and hardiness zones.
Highlighted USDA zones 9a–11b. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Scientific facts
- Nurseries still tag it Cocos plumosa. That is a garden name, not the accepted Latin.
- In Florida sand it often shows potassium hunger first: translucent yellow spots, then dead leaflet tips.
- Fruit is orange, messy, and sprouts freely. It is not a kitchen crop.
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Full care guide
The queen palm is the fast, feathery street tree of warm southern neighborhoods. Native to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, it puts on a full plumose crown and a smooth gray trunk, then drops a lot of orange fruit. It is a zone 9a to 11 landscape palm. Brief dips to about 25°F (-4°C) burn foliage; colder than that and you are gambling with the bud.
Common Names:
Queen palm, cocos palm, jerivá.
Scientific Name:
Syagrus romanzoffiana (still sold as Cocos plumosa or Arecastrum romanzoffianum).
Origin:
South America, mainly southern and eastern Brazil through Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina.
Appearance:
A tall, self-cleaning-looking feather palm with many leaflets along each frond, so the crown looks full and slightly drooping. The trunk is ringed and gray. Heavy hanging clusters of orange fruit sit below the leaves on mature trees.
Growth Rate:
Fast. In heat with water and fertilizer it can add 2 to 3 feet of trunk a year.
Max Growth Height:
About 40 to 50 feet in good conditions. Garden trees often sit in the 30 to 40 foot range with a wide crown.
Foliage Spread:
The canopy commonly spans 15 to 25 feet, so give it room away from roofs and power lines.
Cold Hardiness and Hardiness Zone:
Best in USDA zones 9b to 11. Zone 9a (Gulf Coast, warmer California pockets) is possible with mature plants and rare freezes. Expect frond burn around 25°F (-4°C). It is not a windmill or pindo substitute in zone 8.
Soil Type:
Any well-drained soil. It handles sand, loam, and clay if water does not sit on the roots. Florida sand needs extra potassium.
Fruit and Flowering:
Creamy flowers are followed by large hanging bunches of round orange fruit. Birds and rats eat them. People generally do not. Seedlings come up in beds, gutters, and lawns.
Can it Grow Indoors:
Only as a young plant in a bright, large container. It outgrows rooms quickly and wants full outdoor sun.
Light Requirements:
Full sun. Thin, stretched fronds mean it wants more light.
Water Requirements:
Keep the soil evenly moist while it establishes. Mature trees take short dry spells but look better with regular water in heat. Do not leave the root ball soggy.
Maintenance Level:
Medium. Dropped fruit and old fronds make a mess. Fertilize 2 to 3 times a year with palm-specific fertilizer that includes potassium and magnesium. In sandy Florida soil, potassium hunger is the usual complaint: translucent yellow spots, then brown leaflet tips.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Watch for potassium deficiency, ganoderma butt rot on older trunks, and (in some California plantings) Fusarium wilt, which has no good cure. Scale and palm weevils show up on stressed trees.
Plant Care:
Plant in full sun with drainage. Water regularly the first year. Feed with a quality palm fertilizer. Clean up fruit if you do not want a carpet of seedlings.
Queen Palm Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Can I grow a queen palm in zone 8?
No. Zone 8 winters go well below 25°F. Use windmill, pindo, needle palm, or saw palmetto instead.
2. Are queen palm fruits edible?
They are not a food crop. Leave them to wildlife, or pick bunches early if the mess bothers you.
3. Why are the leaflets yellow with brown tips?
That pattern on a queen palm is usually potassium deficiency, especially in sand. Use a palm fertilizer with potassium, not a general lawn food high in nitrogen.
4. How fast does a queen palm grow?
Fast for a palm. Two to three feet of trunk a year is normal in a warm, watered, fertilized yard.
If you have the heat for it, the queen palm is one of the quickest ways to get a full tropical street-tree look. Give it sun, drainage, potassium, and room for the fruit to fall.