The Sex Life of Dates Male and female flowers of the date palm grow on different trees, and since the male flowers are needed to pollinate the female flowers, groves of palm trees have both male and female trees. Natural groves have about half male and half female trees, while in cultivated groves, like those of ancient Mesopotamia, many female fruiting trees are pollinated by hand from just a few male trees. An acre of cultivated date trees averages one male palm to a harem of 49 female palms. Date palms have been pollinated by hand for centuries. The male blossom is fluffy white and star-shaped.
Female blossoms resemble beads on a string.
Fruiting branch of female date palm. About 7 months after pollination, dates are ready for picking. The date palm was very important in ancient Mesopotamia. Date pits were found in the Royal Cemetery itself, and plant remains from other Mesopotamian sites include date pits as well as wood of the palm. In ancient Mesopotamia, the date palm undoubtedly had symbolic significance.