Areca vestiaria

Native to Indonesia, Maluku, and Sulawesi, the Areca vestiaria is likely the most morphologically diverse species in the palm kingdom. This means that the same species can display different colors and features, in some cases depending on the microclimate and/or elevation the palm is growing in.

This gorgeous palm, also referred to as Orange Crownshaft Palm and Sunset Palm, varies from a profusely suckering red crownshafted plant with maroon leaves, to a single trunked orange version with green leaves, and everything in between. It has been reported that the more colorful plants come from higher elevations.

These palms are monoeceious (meaning they have both the male and female reproductive organs), with small yellow/orange flowers emerging from beneath the crownshaft that bear orange to dark red ovoid fruit, as pictured in the photo above, taken in the Merwin Palm Collection earlier this week.

There are 21 trees belonging to this species growing in the Merwin Palm Collection, with ages ranging from juvenile to mature. When they fruit and flower, the colors are a delight to behold.