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Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.)Glassman
Queen Palm
Not native to Florida
Invasive exotics that have increased in abundance or frequency but have not yet altered Florida plant communities to the extent shown by Category I species.
Planting this species should be avoided and removal of existing plants may be desirable.
This South American palm has escaped cultivation in various parts of the Florida Peninsula.
This medium-sized palm is a fast grower, quickly reaching 15m (49 ft.) in height. The large leaves are pinnately divided typically having around 300 leaflets and sometimes many more. The leaflets can be up to 50cm (20 in.) long and 3-5cm (~1-2 in.) wide. Numerous cream-colored flowers are borne in large inflorescences in the crown amongst the leaves. Mature fruit is bright orange, round to elongated 2-2.5cm (3/4 to 1 in.) long, with up to around a thousand seeds in a cluster.
The specific name is in honor of Nikolay Rumyantsev (1754–1826), who was Russia's Foreign Minister and Imperial Chancellor. Rumyantsev was a patron of Russian exploratory voyages including the first Russian circumnavigation of the earth.
Syagrus romanzoffiana is a member of the Arecaceae - Palm family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Feb 05, 2023
