True Date Palm Tree

Detailed Description

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. The broad gray trunk is patterned with diamond-shaped leaf scars and is up to 16 inches in diameter. Large (18-20 feet long by 2 feet wide) greenish or bluish-gray pinnate leaves form a bushy canopy up to 40 feet wide. The leaves are composed of 1-2 foot long leaflets that are arranged in V-shape ranks the length of the leafstem. 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. In Florida's humid tropical climate, the sugars in the dates ferment and the fruit drops before ripening.

Usage
This is a spectacular palm for landscaping large areas. In recent years many commercial date farms in the western U.S. have closed due to a number of economic pressures. As a result large specimens are available at very competitive prices, even when shipped to Florida. As I write this a half dozen date palms were installed at the entrance to a new building in our office complex - in my opinion complementing the modernistic architecture of these structures beautifully. They are also frequently seen guarding the entrances to upscale housing developments and standing in regiments along boulevards.

Features
Often mentioned in the bible, rendered on Egyptian tomb walls, and extensively used to spiff up Las Vegas hotels, this is a plant with a long and fascinating role in humankind's history.