About: Adonidia merrillii

Adonidia merrillii, the Manila palm, is a palm tree species native to the Philippines (Palawan and Danjugan Island). This palm was cultivated for centuries in East Asia before becoming a staple in the West. It is reportedly naturalized in the West Indies and Florida. It is commonly known as the "Christmas palm" because its fruits become bright scarlet and tend to be that color in winter. This palm is typically fairly small and slender, normally attaining 25 feet or 8 meters in height but has attained over 40 feet in some instances. Most plants maintain 5-7 fronds when young, gradually building up the crown as the palm ages, and sometimes reaches 10-12 fronds when mature.