To grow as they should, date palms require the right balance of environmental factors including a sufficient direct sunlight and just the right amount of water as allowing the soil to dry out can be disastrous and stop the date palm from growing completely. They also require fertilizer and just the right temperature (above 20°C). Because of these requirements, the areas in which they can be grown are restricted. Typically, they are grown tropical or sub-tropical countries which can offer the right climate – this is where we find the main producers listed above. Date plantations are, however, found in warm areas of the United States (predominatly in the Coachella Valley, California), as well as in warmer areas of Europe, such as southern parts of Spain. It is worth noting that there are varieties of date palm which can withstand cold conditions; however, these palms rarely bear fruit, which is the ultimate goal of producers.