True Date Palm 15 Seeds - Phoenix dactylifera
True Date Palm: Although there are many palms that we call "date palms" (i.e.pygmy date palm, Senegal date palm, Canary Island date palm, etc.) Phoenix dactylifera is the "true" date palm from which the tasty fruit is obtained. The date palm is a suckering palm that is usually pruned to have only one trunk. Trimmed in this manner the tree will grow to heights of 100 feet. The broad gray trunk is patterned with diamond-shaped leaf scars and is up to 16 inches in diameter. Large (18-20 feet long by 2 feet wide) greenish or bluish-gray pinnate leaves form a bushy canopy up to 40 feet wide. The leaves a composed of 1-2 foot long leaflets that are arranged in V-shape ranks the length of the leafstem. Leaflets near the base are modified into 3-4 inch spines.The yellow-orange to red fruit, called 'dates', are oblong and about 1.5 inches in length. They consist of a large pointed seed surrounded by sweet sugary flesh. Dates are formed from flowers on 4 foot infloresences that emerge from among the leaves in spring. Not particular about soil - even grows in poor soils. Prune suckers annually to create single trunk specimens.Light:Bright sun.Moisture:Although a dought-resistant desert plant, the date palm has deep roots that typically seek out subterranean water sources. Provide regular irrigation for best look and faster growth.Hardiness:USDA Zones 9 - 11.Propagation:By seed. Also by suckers.