Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) profile

Date palm is an evergreen tree, native to western Asia to northern Africa. Trees are up to 35m tall, stems with persistent petiole base. Leaves are up to 6m long, pinnae linear-lanceolate, 2 or 3 aggregates, 20 -- 40cm long, basal pinnae evolving and stiff needled. Spices clustered into panicles with 3 white flowers, to 0.8cm in diameter. The fruit is elliptic, 3.5 to 6.5cm long, orange, orange or purplish black when ripe. 

Date palm picture

Date palm info

Botanical Name	Phoenix dactylifera
Common Name	Date plam
Plant Type	Tree
Mature Size	50 to 80 feet tall
Sun	Full sun
Flower Color	Yellow
Hardiness Zones	8 to 11
Native Area	North Africa, Middle East

Date palm morphological characteristics

Date palm is arbo-shaped and 35 m high. The stem has a persistent petiole base, the upper leaves rise obserously and the lower leaves droop, forming a sparse head-shaped crown.Leaves up to 6 meters long; Petiole long and slender, much flattened; Pinnae linear-lanceolate, 18-40 cm long, apex short acuminate, grayish green, with distinct keel projections, 2 or 3 aggregate, hairy, lower pinnae becoming long and stiff needlelike.[3]

Buddha spathe is long, large and hypertrophic, inflorescence is dense panicle;Male flowers oblong or ovate, short stipitate, white, crisp; Calyx cup-shaped, apex 3-obtuse teeth; Petals 3, obliquely ovate; Stamens 6, filaments very short; Female flowers subglobose, shortly stipitate; Calyx similar to male flowers but enlarged after anthesis and 1-2 times shorter than corolla; Petals rounded;Stamens 6, scaly. 

Fruit oblong or oblong-shaped elliptic, 3.5-6.5 cm long, dark orange when ripe, fleshy. Seeds 1, flat, both ends acute, ventral with longitudinal groove. 

How to grow and care for date palm

Light

In concord with its desired dry, hot climate, the date palm loves lots of sunshine. It can tolerate mild color however does higher in a full solar position.

Soil

Well-draining soil is the largest thing to think about when selecting the place to plant your date palm. This palm range is tolerant of salty soil and does nicely in sandy conditions.

Water

The date palm is drought-tolerant, particularly as soon as well-established. However, for the duration of its flowering and fruiting season, it wants masses of water to produce a healthful crop.

New timber will want extra water than well-established trees. Since it prefers well-draining soil, it does no longer like too tons moisture round its roots.

Temperature and humidity

These bushes opt for hot, dry, and sunny conditions. In fact, temperatures want to be round ninety five stages Fahrenheit to convey about pollination. Temperatures that are too bloodless can reason extreme injury to the fronds or even kill the tree. It is not a palm tree range that can tolerate freezing temperatures.

As for the fruit of the date palm, it additionally does quality in dry heat. Too an awful lot humidity and moisture can lead to rotting.

Fertilizer

To fertilize your date palm, manure makes an high-quality option. If you’d instead use packaged fertilizer, speciality palm tree fertilizer is recommended. Give fertilizer all through the late iciness to prep the tree for its fruit manufacturing in the coming months.

Propagating date palms

Palm trees, date arms included, propagate via developing new tree increase at the base of the father or mother tree. These new bushes are known as suckers or offshoots. These offshoots are a clone of the mum or dad tree.

Propagating by means of seed is additionally possible, however may additionally produce a hybrid tree from cross-pollination. If you spot an offshoot on your date palm, you can effortlessly separate it and begin developing some other palm.

Identify the place you would like to plant your new date palm.
With a appropriate area picked out, start setting apart the offshoot from the dad or mum tree. You may additionally want to use a noticed to separate the roots. When doing this, be positive the offshoot has roots connected as soon as removed.
Dig a gap for your new date palm, digging it twice as massive as wanted to loosen the soil round the tree.
Fill with loosened soil and simply cowl the roots of the tree.
Give it a appropriate watering. You may also want to add helps to assist the tree develop straight.

Growing date palms from seeds

Starting your date palm from seed is any other effortless way to begin developing extra palms. Here's how:
Remove the seeds from ripe dates.
Soak the seeds for at least 24 hours, discarding any that waft to the top.
Place every ultimate seed in its very own container of well-draining soil, such as a sandy mix. Press the seeds into the soil so they are about half of covered.
Keep moist and warm. Placing them in a spot with oblique daylight is best. You may additionally choose to region a plastic bag on pinnacle of the container to maintain in extra moisture.
Once the seed has sprouted a couple of inches, dispose of the bag (if used) and cross to a large container.
Keep the palm in oblique daylight till the quit of its first summer, then slowly get it accustomed to greater sunlight. By its 2nd year, you need to be capable to plant it in the ground.