Christmas Palm

Christmas Palm (Adonidia merrillii, still widely sold as Veitchia merrillii) is the neat single trunk palm for a courtyard or poolside where a royal or foxtail palm would simply be too big. It settles at about 6m tall with a 2.5m spread of arching fronds, holds a clean grey trunk and a bright green crownshaft, and through summer it carries heavy bunches of scarlet fruit, which is where the name comes from.

Why you'll love it

• It cleans up after itself. Spent fronds drop away on their own instead of hanging in a brown skirt, so there is no ladder work and no annual trimming bill.
• Scale that suits a real garden. At 6m by 2.5m it gives you a proper palm silhouette without taking the whole yard or shading the house.
• Non invasive roots. Safe to plant close to paving, pool shells and pipes, which is exactly where most palms cause trouble.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can go in a garden where the dog has the run of the place.
• Red fruit and bird traffic. The summer fruit colours up around Christmas and brings birds in with it.

Where it works best

Poolside. Non invasive roots, a self cleaning habit and salt tolerance make this one of the better palms to plant within a couple of metres of a pool. The fruit does drop, so expect an occasional sweep on paving underneath.

Feature planting. One plant makes an entry statement. A group of three at staggered heights, roughly 1.5m to 2m apart, reads far better than a single row of matched plants.

Pots and courtyards. Slow and tidy enough to spend years in a large container in a warm sheltered courtyard.

Coastal gardens. Salt tolerant and heat tolerant, so it holds condition on an exposed frontage where softer palms burn.

Growing Christmas Palm in Australia

Position and climate. This is a tropical and subtropical palm and it is frost tender, which is the single most important thing to know before buying. It thrives from about Coffs Harbour north, through south east Queensland, the Queensland coast, Darwin and the tropical north. In Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth's cooler pockets and anywhere that frosts, grow it in a pot in a warm protected courtyard rather than in open ground. Young plants prefer part shade; established plants take full sun.

Soil. Free draining and rich. Dig compost through the planting hole and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Keep the root zone consistently moist through the first two summers. It is humidity tolerant and does not enjoy drying out hard. Feed with a controlled release palm fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer. Palm blends carry the extra potassium and magnesium that prevent yellow, frizzled older fronds.

Pruning. Almost none required. Remove the old flower and fruit stalks if you want less mess underneath, and leave the fronds to fall on their own.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 45L and 100L sizes, so these are advanced plants with real trunk and a full crown on day one rather than young seedlings. They are heavy, and they are dispatched with the fronds tied in to travel safely, which means the crown looks tight and creased for the first week or two before it opens out again.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock like this is freighted at cost, and we quote specialist transport where it is needed. Expect a month of little visible change while the roots move out, then a new frond every few weeks through the warm season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full palm range
• Layer a tropical garden around it
• Plants that hold up in large containers
• Preparing the ground before planting

Common questions

How much cold will it take?

Very little. It is frost tender, and a single hard frost can kill the growing point. Below about 5C growth stops and the fronds can mark, so treat it as a plant for frost free gardens or a moveable pot.

Does it need a second palm to fruit?

No. Each palm carries both male and female flowers, so a single plant will set the red summer fruit once it is mature enough.

How fast does it grow?

Moderate. In a warm garden with water and feed, expect around 20cm to 30cm of trunk a year, reaching its full 6m over roughly fifteen years.

Can it stay in a pot permanently?

For many years, yes. Use the largest container you can manage, keep the mix free draining, water regularly and feed twice a year. It will stay shorter in a pot than in the ground.