They have a straight, rough trunk of about the same thickness from base to top. Growths called suckers sprout near the base of the trunk and may develop into new plants. For this reason, date palms tend to grow in clumps. Flowers bloom on the trees between February and June, and the fruit ripens from June to December. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees.
Male flowers produce pollen, and female flowers develop into fruit.
Thick, sweet flesh, covered by tough skin, surrounds a single large seed. Dates range in color from yellow to orange, red, or green, depending on the variety. Dates grow in clusters at the end of stalks. A single cluster on some mature varieties of date palm can hold between 600 and 1,700 dates at time of picking. Date palms bear much fruit.