The Royal Palm area of Everglades National Park was named for the statuesque royal palm (Roystonea elata) tree, which towers above the surrounding subtropical forest. Severe storms and hurricanes tend to remove the crown of the tree without toppling the trunk, enabling rapid regrowth of the leaves and allowing the trees to grow to tall heights. The gumbo-limbo tree earned its nickname as the 'tourist tree' because of its red, peeling bark. Timothy Taylor, NPS volunteer.