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Christmas Palm
Adonidia merrillii · Arecaceae
How it looks
Christmas Palm (Adonidia) is a small palm with soft, feather-shaped dark green fronds that spread gracefully from the top of a short trunk. In winter, small round red fruits cover the branches, giving a Christmas feel. It grows 6.5–16 ft (2–5 m) tall.
Christmas Palm is a palm with no known toxicity to cats according to the ASPCA. Many true palms (Arecaceae) are safe for cats.
Guide for parents
A safe palm, but the pointed leaf tips can scratch the inside of a mouth, so choose its spot with care. It's often recommended as an indoor air-purifying plant, and its safety as a palm is well established. Picking up fallen fronds the same day is enough. A word of caution: cycads (sago palm and Zamia) aren't true palms even though "palm" is in their names — and they are deadly. Checking the scientific name matters.
Details
- Scientific name
- Adonidia merrillii
- Common name
- Christmas Palm
- Family
- Arecaceae
- Source
- ASPCA
