This tall and graceful palm is the Puerto Rican Royal Palm, Roystonea borinquena.

Like other royal palms, it has a smooth, pale-gray trunk topped by a green crownshaft and a canopy of long, arching fronds. The trunk may be slightly swollen toward the base or middle, giving each mature palm its own distinctive shape.

Large clusters of small, creamy-white flowers emerge below the crownshaft. These are followed by many small fruits that ripen from green to dark purple or nearly black. The fruits are eaten by birds, which help distribute the seeds.

The Puerto Rican Royal Palm is native to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. Its scientific name, borinquena, comes from Borinquén, the Indigenous Taíno name for Puerto Rico.

Its great height, clean trunk, and symmetrical crown make it one of the most impressive palms in the Caribbean landscape. A row of royal palms can create a particularly grand entrance—which helps explain why they are called “royal.”