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Palm · Arecaceae Draft — unreviewed

Date palm

Phoenix dactylifera

Also called date palm.

Feather palm with gray-green fronds, widely planted in the low desert as large transplanted specimens. Female palms bear dates.

Size over time

Typical landscape size 12–20 m (39–66 ft) tall and 6–9 m (20–30 ft) wide; medium growth, about 15 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.25) from the BB-3in install size.

05101520mPlanting3.0 × 2.0 mYear 39.9 × 4.9 mYear 1014.9 × 7.0 mMature16.0 × 7.5 m

Design notes

  • Sharp spines at the frond bases — keep away from walks and pools.
  • Fruit drop is heavy on female palms unless clusters are removed.

Regions

Native range: North Africa and the Middle East (cultivated origin).

Not recorded as native to any of the three pilot regions.

Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.

Related plants

Mediterranean fan palm
Chamaerops humilis · Palm · 1.5–3 m (5–10 ft)
Cabbage palmetto
Sabal palmetto · Palm · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Windmill palm
Trachycarpus fortunei · Palm · 4–9 m (13–30 ft)
California fan palm
Washingtonia filifera · Palm · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Mexican fan palm
Washingtonia robusta · Palm · 15–25 m (49–82 ft)
Glossy abelia
Abelia × grandiflora · Shrub · 1.2–1.8 m (4–6 ft)

Plan with Date palm

Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.

Start designing Try a sample garden