Difference between revisions of "Phoenix dactylifera"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor
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'''''Phoenix dactylifera''''' is one of the most commonly grown palms on the planet, as well as one of the most economically important ones as well.  Despite it being so common, it is still one of the best, most magnificent and useful landscape palms we can grow in southern California.  Thousands of these are planted in public landscaping throughout California, as it also one of our hardiest palms.  In addition, it was one of the only edible fruit forming palms we grow in California, with over a dozen varieties grown in the Coachella Valley commercially.   
 
'''''Phoenix dactylifera''''' is one of the most commonly grown palms on the planet, as well as one of the most economically important ones as well.  Despite it being so common, it is still one of the best, most magnificent and useful landscape palms we can grow in southern California.  Thousands of these are planted in public landscaping throughout California, as it also one of our hardiest palms.  In addition, it was one of the only edible fruit forming palms we grow in California, with over a dozen varieties grown in the Coachella Valley commercially.   
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*'''Availability''': fairly commonly available
 
*'''Availability''': fairly commonly available
 
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File:Date Palm view Palm Desert.JPG|commercial dates Palm Desert
 
File:Date Palm view Palm Desert.JPG|commercial dates Palm Desert

Revision as of 22:58, 3 August 2015

Pronunciation: Fee-nix dack-till-LIF-er-uh


Common Name: Edible Date Palm

Phoenix dactylifera is one of the most commonly grown palms on the planet, as well as one of the most economically important ones as well. Despite it being so common, it is still one of the best, most magnificent and useful landscape palms we can grow in southern California. Thousands of these are planted in public landscaping throughout California, as it also one of our hardiest palms. In addition, it was one of the only edible fruit forming palms we grow in California, with over a dozen varieties grown in the Coachella Valley commercially.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: Solitary or suckering (more often the latter) with a large crown of about 20-40 leaves
  • Height: 80 feet tall
  • Trunk: Single to multiple trunks (usually pruned and kept as single) with naturally retained leaf bases, though that fall off with age showing a geometric, ornamental pattern of leaf scars; 2' thick
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 25 feet
  • Leaf Shape and color: pinnate; plumose (leaflets form on two different but nearly parallel planes); long (15') arching blue-green to dull green leaves with relatively short, stiff, sharp-tipped, induplicate leaflets
  • Petiole: 1' and very heavily armed with very stiff, very sharp, narrow, modified leaflet spines; unsplit leaf bases
  • Reproduction: dioecious
  • Inflorescence: starting upright to arching, 4' long; bright orange to yellow, with white flowers
  • Fruit: edible, oblong, green to orange or red to red-brownish when ripe; 3-4cm
  • Seed: very oblong 2.5cm
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 15F
  • Drought Tolerance: excellent, though best if ground water available
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: excellent
  • Wind Tolerance: good
  • Salt Tolerance: good
  • Growth Rate: moderate to fast with age
  • Soil Preference: very widely adaptable
  • Light Requirement: full sun
  • Human Hazards: very sharp, long, strong/stiff leaf-base spines, and even leaves have spiny tips; fruit drop/slippage hazards on sidewalks
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: Fusarium wilt susceptible (often spread via dirty pruning sheers); often overpruned- excuse is often extreme height and cost of trimming
  • Transplants?: fairly good transplant success normally if care not to damage trunk or do too much root damage
  • Indoor?: poor choice for indoor due to high light requirements, size and dangerous leaf tips
  • Availability: fairly commonly available


  • commercial dates Palm Desert

  • Palm Desert dates

  • Las Vegas

  • San Fernando Valley, California

  • Huntington Gardens

  • Huntington Gardens

  • trimmed palms in public landscaping, Orange County, Ca

  • San Gabriel mountains, California

  • San Fernando Valley, California

  • San Fernando Valley, California

  • Palm Desert, California

  • Orange county, California

  • Orange county California

  • outside Disneyland, California

  • Thailand ultra blue form

  • trunks pruned and some natural 'cleaning'

  • unopened leaves

  • crown

  • juvenile palm, Los Angeles

  • Haziz palm, Palm Desert

  • Bahri palm, Palm Desert

  • Los Angeles

  • trunk

  • lsuckering base

  • pruned base

  • new inflorescences

  • in fruit

  • Suckering habit

  • Khadrawy fruits

  • Medjool fruits

  • Bahri fruits early

  • example of a variety of Date fruit (Haziz Dates)

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