Fresh and Juicy Phoenix dactylifera Dates - A Delicious Treat from the Edible Date Palm Tree

Description

Common name:

Date Palm, Edible Date Palm

Regional name:

Marathi - Khajur

Category:

Palms and Cycads, Fruit Plants, Trees

Family:

Palmae or Coconut family

Light:

Sun growing

Water:

Normal, Can tolerate less

Primarily grown for:

Foliage

Flowering season:

February, March, Flowers are inconspicuous

Flower or Inflorescence color:

Orange, White

Foliage color:

Blue Grey or Silver, Green

Plant Height or length:

More than 12 meters

Plant Spread or Width:

6 to 8 meters

Plant Form:

Spreading, Upright or Erect

Special Character:

• Auspicious or Feng Shui plant
• Suitable for road median planting
• Suitable for avenue planting
• Salt or salinity tolerant
• Good on seaside

Generally available in India in quantities of:

Over hundreds

Plant Description:

- Probably the most important palm after the coconut and Oil palm.
- Grows throughout the Middle East, West Asia and Northern Africa.
- Is a desert plant - which requires wet feet and a dry and warm head.
- One problem why the date palm is not grown everywhere is that - it requires dry weather during fruit development which happens in June - July - August.
- Plants grow well everywhere. It is only the fruiting that has problems.
- As all phoenix go this one too is very hardy.
- Mature trunks grow to 90 ft, 18 inch in diameter.
- The leaves are 10-20 ft long, stiff and slightly arching.
- The leaf crown is 20 ft tall and wide.
- The inflorescences are 4 ft long & grow from among the leaves.
- The fruits 1-3 inches long very sweet, edible fruits.
- Male and female plants are seperate. Only the female plants bear fruit.
- Date palms often sucker. They may sucker profusely, sucker less or not sucker at all. There is considrable variation.

Growing tips:

- Plants grow well in areas with a hot dry climate.
- Tolerate full exposure and sprays of salt iaden winds.
- The date palm is hardy to cold and can tolerate near freezing temperatures.
- It is used widely for landscaping throughout the Middle East.