Christmas palm (Veitchia merrillii)

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haighr Laurel, DE(Zone 7a) Jan 16, 2003

Fruits in bloom on Christmas Day 2002 - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Common name: Christmas palm
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Veitchia
Species merrillii

Plant Link: http://plantsdatabase.com/go/2223/

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DebbiesDelight Sonora, Mexico Feb 23, 2007

Are the fruits on the Christmas Palms edible for humans or are they just for decoration?

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haighr Laurel, DE(Zone 7a) Feb 23, 2007

Everything I have googled says "showy crimson fruit" - Other listings with edible fruit palms did not include veitchia merrillii.

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palmbob Acton, CA(Zone 8b) Feb 23, 2007

I don't think those are edible to us... however, something probably eats them in the wild or else there may not be much reason for the brilliant red color. Certainly nothing in nature is colored for the purposes of decoration.

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alohacarey Kiana, AK Aug 16, 2008

We have a few V. merillii in our yard & our Philipino neighbors eat the seeds... after a little searching I found this from the University of Florida extension:
"Adonidia merrillii (syn. Veitchia merrillii) – Christmas, manilla, adonidia palm (solitary -
Phillipines). Seeds sometimes used as substitute for betelnut."

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