Date
PalmDate
PalmThis tall, evergreen tree is the true date palm and needs male and female plants to produce the edible dates. It grows slowly to 60 feet with a crown to 25 feet wide. The rough, gray trunk is about 18 inches in diameter and the fronds are a gray-green color.
Hardy to 18F. Won't produce fruit in high zone.
Moderate to occasional deep irrigation for fruit production. Established trees used for landscape effect (no fruit) can get along on occasional irrigation, about once a month.
Full sun to part shade.
Tolerant if used as an ornamental. Will grow in alkaline or saline soils, but requires garden soil for fruit production.
Periodic to constant, depending on use. Multi-trunked by nature so have to remove offshoots for single-trunked tree.
Sometimes gets palm heart rot or fiber rot,causing trunk and frond ends to look moth-eaten. Sometimes gets bud rot, especially during humid summer weather. Taller palms become difficult and costly to groom. Sharp spines at frond bases make leaf trimming difficult. Female trees can be messy. Use male trees if for landscape use only.
Blossoms on female plants need special attention for producing fruit if no male trees are available. Blooms have to be pollinated by hand.
Dates appear on female tree if pollination successful. Birds will eat the fruit so cover with paper bags.
Specimen, accent or emphasis plant. Eventual skyline tree.
Member of the Arecaceae (Palmae) family.
Tropical, Subtropical, Mediterranean, Edible.