PalmScapes: The Christmas Palm

As I Wander...

Welcome!

Living in tropical Malaysia, we tend to take the hot humid weather, thundery rainstorms and the spectrum of wild evergreen plants as a given.

Recently, I noticed more exotic plants making its way into landscaped home gardens, recreational parks, frontages of shopping malls and

commercial buildings.

Along kerb sides of residential streets and busy motorways, palms, trees and flowering plants make pleasant and interesting fringes.

This is a record of the various species "as I see it" for I am in awe of palms. Hence, my premise for this blog is that the global garden,

i.e. every physical garden (tended or untended), becomes a part of my, simply said, cyber palm garden. ;-)

Please feel free to share your thoughts or comments.

Thank you for visiting!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The Christmas Palm

Botanical Name : Adonidia merrillii

Also known as the Manila Palm or Kerpis Palm, this small palm originated from the Philippines. In the USA, it's also called the Dwarf Royal Palm as it looks like the Royal Palm (Roystonia regia).

This little beauty has a neat single gray trunk. The crownshaft which is creamy smooth and waxy supports a crown of deep arching, dark green feather fronds.

cable holding decorative lights between trees

The palms flower and seed even as low (or as young) as showing 3feet of trunk with an attractive spray of stunning bright crimson oval fruits when mature. In some places, with the fruits ripening around December,
it's also called the Christmas Palm. However, in Malaysia, I observe most are now blossoming with fruits so I'm thinking it's probably the Southern Hemisphere Christmas they align to...