The True Date Palm is often mentioned in the bible,
rendered on Egyptian tomb walls, and extensively
used to spiff up Las Vegas hotels, this is a Sun
Palm Trees' favorite and has a long and fascinating
role in humankind's history.
True Date Palm
Trees Overview
All though there are many Palm Trees we call
Date Palms, Phoenix dactylifera is the True Date
Palm. The True Date has:
- A broad gray trunk patterned with diamond-shape
leafs up to 16 inches in diameter.
- Large (18-20 feet long by 2 feet wide) greenish
or bluish -gray pinnate leaves forming a bushy
canopy up to 40 feet wide.
- Leaves which are composed of 1 to 2 foot
long leaflets arranged in V-shape ranks the
length of the leaf stem.
True Date Palm
Trees Description
Although there are many palms that we call "date
palms" (i.e. pygmy date palm, Canary Island date
palm, etc.) Phoenix dactylifera is the true date
palm from which the tasty fruit is obtained. The
date palm is a suckering palm that is usually pruned
to have only one trunk. Trimmed in this manner the
tree will grow to heights of 100 feet. Leaflets
near the base are modified into 3-4 inch spines.
The yellow-orange to red fruit, called 'dates',
are oblong and about 1.5 inches in length. They
consist of a large pointed seed surrounded by sweet
sugary flesh. Dates are formed from flowers on 4
foot inflorescences that emerge from among the leaves
in spring. Male and female flowers grow on separate
plants. Only female plants produce dates and only
if a male tree is nearby. Dates are not formed in
climates that are too cool.
True Date Palm Tree Usage
This is a spectacular palm for landscaping large
areas. They are also frequently seen guarding
the entrances to upscale housing developments and
standing in regiments along boulevards.
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Cold hardy palm trees descriptions quick-links:
True Date Palms (Phoenix dactylifera)
(Sabal mexicana)
(Butia capitata)
(Cycas revoluta)
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