Virginia Tech Dendrology

cherry palm Arecaceae Adonidia merrillii Becc. symbol: --
Leaf: Evergreen, alternate, pinnately compound, to 4 feet long, gracefully arching; leaflets lance-shaped with jagged tips, held in a V-shape along the rachis.
Flower: Species is monoecious; occur on many-branched clusters at the base of the crown shaft and arranged in groups of 2 males and 1 female, creamy white, males with many stamens; appearing in summer.
Fruit: A fleshy ovoid drupe to 1 inch long, occurs in up to 18 inch hanging clusters; ripening to bright red in winter.
Bark: Light grayish brown, smooth, young stem will be smooth and bright green.
Form: A small tree to 20 (25) feet tall with a single trunk and gracefully arching fronds.
Looks like: royal palm

Additional Range Information: Adonidia merrillii is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.

All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information