Tropicbreezent, you certainly have mild winters. I guess it's because you are in an equatorial climate that changes very little temperature wise. Here in North America, even as far south as Miami, Florida, the all time record low is 27F, but their normal low in January is around 59F and their normal high in January is around 76F. Here in Corpus Christi, Texas, the all time record low is 11F. Where I live on a small peninsula (Flour Bluff) a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico on the far east side of Corpus Christi, I would estimate the all time record low to be around 13 or 14F. Our normal high/low at the airport (about 18 miles inland from here) in January is 66F/46F. Where I live, I estimate the averages for January to be 64F/50F. At Brownsville, about 130 miles south of here, the all time record low is 12F (Brownsville is about 26 miles inland from the Gulf), and their averages for January are 69F/50F. The lower Texas coast can go for 15-20+ years at a time without getting into the teens, so for those living on the immediate coastline, like where I am at, we can grow coconut palms for 5-10+ years at a time between coconut killing freezes (freezes in the mid 20's or lower). The Mexican Tall variety of coconut palm is probably the most cold hardy in the Western Hemisphere. I estimate it to be hardy down to 26F. The one in Brownsville in the above photos has survived several nights in the mid to upper 20'sF over the last 10-15 years, and has even survived a couple of inches of snow at Christmas 2004 (the first measurable snowfall Brownsville had in 105 years). There are some of the Malayan Dwarf varieties (green, golden, and yellow), and hybrids between the Mexican Talls and Malayan Dwarfs that are grown on the lower Texas Coast. The Malayan Dwarfs seem to suffer the most here because as I estimate, they are only hardy to about 28F and probably can't take week long cold snaps in the 40's and 50's as well as a mature Mexican Tall can.

Royal palms do not transplant as easy as some palms and you might lose most of the fronds or they might even die (sorry)but the your chances are good .I use root stimulator when I transplant palms that have a hard time when field dug.If your temps are 80 something everyday and the soil drains quickly you will not overwater them.If your soil is as I said and and your temps then I believe they will have died from shock from digging them.

After the lingering effects of the winter where I am, I didn't expect that palm to make it. As to the comments to plant a majesty palm, the answer is no. Majesties don't do well in Florida, the need much more water and much richer soil than they are given (even queens get nutrient deficiencies in our sandy soil, and Majesties need MUCH more fert than queens do). I've only ever seen a couple good majesties in Fl, and they were given super rich soil, lots of fert, and water 24/7, something which I doubt would be given to a palm in that spot. Every other one I've seen here grows to a point and then the trunk gets really thin to the point where it just falls over. I'd say if they were to replant something close to a coconut, a Beccariophoenix alfredii would be the plant for the spot, but they aren't readily available. Maybe someone on the east coast can donate one

Hi That might be true about the quality of the fruit.But it's certainly no necessary to get them to fruit . Every shopping center ,house in my area has at least one I'd even go so far as to say they are the most common palm. i gurantee that commercial plantings are NOT encouraging fruit. They whack them off as soon as they appear. This year all that I've noticed(in time) are fruiting . Only big difference that's obvious is the record warm winter. Almost none in 08 and o9 record cold winter !! Even some less than 10 feet tall are fruiting this year!! and well over 10 miles from the sea. Since they are in a medical center parking lot and they don't want them to fruit I feel certain they done nothing to encourage this But there they are!! Habve no idea what or how they are pollinated but it must be easy?? gary