Date palms and their fruits: growing tips. Date palm: growing from seed and features of care at home

The article will tell you how to grow a beautiful home palm tree from a date seed.

Anyone who has eaten a date at least once has noticed the presence of a seed inside the fruit. People involved in growing flowers or gardening have wondered, “Is it possible to grow something from a seed?” It is known that dates grow on palm trees, so I immediately want to grow something similar at home.

Turns out, Growing a date palm at home is very easy. But it is important to know that such a plant, not located in natural conditions, will never bear fruit. However, the palm tree is beautiful and can easily fit into any interior. With proper and good care, it will even be able to bloom.

Palm tree grown from date kernel requires a lot of space and space indoors. This is a necessity because palm leaves are large and long, they shoot high up and wide to the sides. That is why the plant should be kept in a room with a lot of light and little furniture.

A palm tree will look impressive only where all its “royality” will be noticeable. In a corner or against a wall, she will “feel bad” and will not be able to develop adequately. You should also choose the right pot for this plant; preference should be given to large clay or ceramic containers.

If you decide to grow a palm tree from a date seed, you should know that this process can be long and very long, up to two years. It all depends on what type of plant the seed belonged to. small plant, which has not reached its maturity and splendor, will temporarily be able to “live” on the windowsill.

Lush home date palm Young domestic date palm

Tall domestic date palm

How to plant a date seed and grow a date palm at home?

IMPORTANT: You will be able to grow a palm tree only if the date seed was taken from a fruit that was not treated with high temperatures. Fresh date palm fruits, which you can bring with you from “hot countries,” are ideal for this. Properly dried fruits also retain a “healthy” seed capable of germination.

How to plant a seed:

Collect a handful of date pits (to be sure at least one of them has sprouted).
Rinse the seeds thoroughly with water to remove excess pulp so that they cannot rot in the soil.
After washing, dry the seeds
Since the date seed is hard, it is recommended to soften it a little or make it so that the sprout comes out easily: rub it with sandpaper or cut it a little with a blade. This way moisture can penetrate inside the seed faster.
Place date seeds on a layer of cotton wool soaked in water in a saucer, cover with a damp layer of gauze, folded several times, and place on a sunny windowsill. Each time the moisture evaporates, the cotton wool should be moistened.
If you don’t have a lot of sun, you can place the saucer on the radiator, it is important that there is a lot of heat.
Keep an eye on the seed; if it is swollen, it’s time to plant it in the ground.
Place the seeds in the soil; this should be done with the stone positioned vertically.
The pot with the seed must be placed in a warm place and regularly ensure that the soil in the pot is moist.
You will be able to notice the first shoots after 1.5-2 months.

INTERESTING: This soaking will help you save several months of growing time by speeding up the process.

How to properly grow a palm tree from a date seed?

Dates from seeds at home: care

The date palm pot deserves special attention. It must be made from natural material and have a tall, not wide shape because dates have long roots. Be sure to place a layer of drainage on the bottom of the pot, this will allow the plant not to experience a lack or excess of moisture.

What should be the soil for a date palm:

Sand
Manure (humus)

Since the process of growing a palm tree is long, you will need a lot of time spent waiting and effort invested in caring for the plant. It is noteworthy that the palm tree should be replanted every year and with each replant the volume of the pot should be increased.

Replanting a date palm should only be done using the transshipment principle because the roots of the plant are very thin and delicate. Carefully remove the palm from the pot so as not to damage the roots. If the roots are damaged, the plant can quickly die.

Choose a light and light color for your date palm. warm room, where the air temperature will not drop below 15-16 degrees. Under no circumstances should you place a date near a radiator, fireplace or air conditioner - it will die. Protect the palm tree from drafts, and summer time year, try to place it on a balcony or outside (veranda, garden with a gazebo, etc.).

The ideal air humidity for dates is 50%. Dates like to be sprayed with water, but not in excessive quantities, so one spray per day in the warm or cold season will be quite enough. IN dark room the date will turn yellow and its leaves will be brittle. The date allows direct sunlight to reach its leaves, but in limited quantities.

In order for the plant to be beautiful and have a proportionately lush crown, you should regularly turn the pot towards the light in different directions. Regularly check that the soil is drying out so that there is no dry lump. Water can be added to the tray. In winter, watering of the plant should be limited.

The palm tree loves to have its leaves wiped, removing dust and moisturizing them. In the hot season, the palm tree can be given a shower, but make sure that the ground is not too moist. Feed the plant regularly organic fertilizers. In the warm season, you can do this once a week, following the instructions on the package, and in winter - once a month.

Date palm care at home

Transplanting dates from pits

Transplantation for dates should only be done by means of transshipment. Replanting the plant (young and adult) should occur once a year, and you also need to change the pot to a looser one as the root system increases. If you have already sprouted a seed in sawdust or damp cotton wool, it has swollen and increased in size, it should be lowered into the ground.

First prepare the correct soil mixture, moisten or lower the pit by pressing on it with your finger. This is easy to do, since the bone is lowered vertically. Do not lower the bone too deep, 1.5-2 cm will be enough.

Video: “Date palm. Features of care at home"

The date palm (Phoenix) is not grown very often at home. tropical plant belongs to the Palm family (Arecaceae), and due to its botanical features When growing at home, it requires competent and high-quality care at all stages of growth and development.

Botanical description of a houseplant

A representative of the genus may be a tree or a squat shrub. The leaves are pinnately divided, long, with strong and sharp spines. A significant part of the species is represented by single-trunked trees, but there are also species with several trunks. The flowers are small, yellow, collected in paniculate inflorescences. The plant is dioecious.

How dates grow and what a tree looks like in natural conditions

Under natural conditions, dates or date palms grow in full sun and do not tolerate shade at all. The homeland is the southern regions of Iran, as well as the territory of ancient Mesopotamia and the northern part of Africa. Many species are native to the Arabian Peninsula.

Exotic trees often become a real decoration of the landscape in arid areas and look especially impressive in desert areas. The tree often reaches 25-35 m in height, with a trunk width of 0.8 m with six-meter pinnate leaves. IN natural environment the plant reproduces vegetatively, through young shoots appearing at the foot. After flowering, fruits are formed that are located quite low, which greatly facilitates their collection.

How to grow a date palm from a seed at home

Growing an adult ornamental plant from a seed is not difficult for both experienced and novice gardeners. Seeds obtained from dates that have not been subjected to heat treatment are suitable for planting. Growing an indoor date palm from seeds is as follows:

the seeds are freed from fruit pulp, washed and slightly dried;
clean and dried bones are placed in water for a couple of days room temperature and kept in the sun;
water replacement is carried out at least three times per day;
To speed up germination, it is recommended to rub the surface of the seeds with fine sandpaper and immerse again in warm water.

Swollen seeds must be planted in previously prepared and disinfected nutrient soil.

Date palm from seed (video)

Date palm: how to grow and care for the plant

Germinating seeds and growing a healthy plant can sometimes be quite difficult. Properly prepared seeds should be planted strictly in an upright position, sprinkled with a little soil. To ensure that the sprout appears as early as possible, a film cover is installed or a layer of sphagnum moss is placed on top of the planting. The crop grows relatively slowly, but it is necessary to properly care for the crop at all stages of development.

Optimal conditions

On too hot days, perennial leaves may dry out at the ends, so it is recommended to spray the above-ground parts several times a day or replace this procedure by wiping the foliage with a damp sponge. About once a week you need to organize a shower for the palm tree, covering the soil with film. In summer, the date palm can be placed on balconies or loggias.

Requirements for soil and planting container

The flower pot should be small in diameter, but quite high, due to the developed root system. The soil should be loose and soft. It is advisable to use a mixture based on turf and leaf soil, with the addition of peat and medium-grained sand. The plant needs good and high drainage.

What and when to feed

Organic and mineral fertilizers are paid weekly, and in autumn time the perennial needs to be fertilized once every couple of weeks, combining this with watering.

In winter, perennial exotic plants do not need additional nutrition, but if necessary, high-quality complex fertilizers are applied no more than once a month.

Watering and loosening

Date palms belong to the category of moisture-loving indoor plants, so they need to be watered quite often in the summer, at least a couple of times a week. For irrigation, only well-settled water at room temperature is used. Irrigation measures are carried out after the top layer has dried.

Watering must be supplemented with spraying. However, stagnation of water in the pan can be detrimental to indoor perennials, and very often becomes the cause of disease.

How to grow a date palm (video)

Features of transplantation

Correct and timely transplantation indoor plant– a guarantee of preserving the decorative appearance of the date palm for many years. Transplant perennial V flower pot more in the first five years of life, preferably every year. Older specimens are replanted and the flower pot is replaced every three years.

Plants older than fifteen years need to be replanted no more than once every five years. To slow down the growth of the above-ground part, you can periodically pinch the top.

The rules for transplanting decorative perennial exotic plants are as follows:

transplantation should be carried out extremely carefully and carefully, which minimizes the risk of damage to the root system;
Experienced amateur flower growers, who have been growing date palms for many years in indoor floriculture, recommend replanting the crop using the method of transferring the root system with an earthen ball;
the planting container for growing heat-loving exotics must be deep enough, which is due to fairly long and well-developed roots;
when choosing a new flower pot, you need to remember that its dimensions should be approximately 35-45 mm larger than the diameter of the previous planting container;
It is very important to provide the crop with a high-quality drainage layer, which prevents moisture from stagnating in the soil near the root system after watering.

It is often not recommended to replant very mature and massive palm trees, so if there is no need to provide the plant with a larger flower pot, only the top layer of soil in the flowerpot is replaced. This event can be performed a couple of times a year.

Problems during cultivation

Indoor date palms are quite fastidious plants that can react very “violently” to any temperature changes and unfavorable external factors. To prevent the occurrence of diseases, it is necessary to provide high-quality and competent care. But not less it is important to be able to recognize the disease in time and correctly, know the main reasons that provoke their occurrence, and also apply the entire volume necessary measures.

red spider mites are among the most dangerous and difficult to remove indoor pests ornamental crops, which spread in conditions of high temperature and dry air. In case of massive damage, the plant completely covered with cobwebs dies;
mealybugs are capable of greatly retarding the growth and development of the plant, covering it with a cobweb-like white coating;
thrips infect the plant in large groups, after which the foliage turns yellow, dries out and falls off, and the indoor tree dies.

How to replant a date palm (video)

When growing heat-loving exotics, you need to remember that the growth point of the date palm is located in the apical part of the trunk, so there is no need to form its crown. plant in indoor floriculture does not bear fruit. As a rule, at home this perennial crop grows quite slowly, so its height rarely exceeds two meters.

Reviews and comments

(3 ratings, average: 4,67 out of 5)

Ira 10/30/2015

Last winter I simply stuffed a few dried date pits into a pot of geraniums that sits on the kitchen windowsill. And I forgot. The window faces the sunny side, I regularly use geraniums, which is probably what the seeds liked. In the spring I noticed 2 narrow sprouts and remembered “planting”. Using a spoon, I carefully dug up the sprouts along with a lump of earth and planted them in a separate pot. One sprout has died, and the other is growing. It grows slowly: at first the arrow grew, when it grew about 15 cm, the leaf began to unfold. Now the 2nd sheet is unfolding, and the arrow continues to grow.

Sergey 03/21/2016

At my work, the boss planted a date seed in a pot, it sprouted, then he planted this sprouted sprout in the yard, and a few years later he treated us to dates. Not like the ones sold in the store, smaller, but similar in taste. It started to shoot shoots from the tree and I dug one up for myself, planted it, it immediately began to grow, but the next year it dried up. I think not every soil is suitable.

Anyuta 12/29/2017

I also tried to grow a date palm from a seed. I planted 5 seeds, only two sprouted. Then I learned that there is no need to deepen it and plant it in a large pot, otherwise the plant wants to fill everything with roots. In general, nothing worked for me, I will try again.

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If you suspect that you have a penchant for experimental botany, immediately plant a date seed in a pot of soil. and then you will be able to watch the date palm growing on the windowsill. In 10 years it will turn into a real tree!

WHERE DO DATES GROW?

Huge date palms immediately catch the eye of tourists who visit the green oases of Egypt, Israel and other countries North Africa and South-West Asia. Usually they tower above the entire surrounding area, representing perhaps the tallest trees - 15-20 meters each with a straight and thick unbranched trunk, at the top of which up to fifty huge feathery leaves rustle and sway.

Science and life // Illustrations

Man has been growing date palms since ancient times. And not so much for the beauty of the landscape, but for practical purposes. Their fruits are tasty and nutritious, containing a huge amount of vitamins, mineral salts, sugars and other useful substances. The local population prepares hundreds of different dishes, drinks, and potions from them.

To avoid disappointment, I warn you in advance that a palm tree grown in your home, alas, will not produce fruit.

SUBTLES OF FITTING

You can, of course, without thinking too much, put the seed in a pot with some kind of indoor flower as either a “neighbor” or a “guest”. It is quite possible that by some miracle the date will survive, at least grow, and then displace its former owner, fighting for existence.

But it is much more effective to do otherwise.

Experienced experimenters know that the hard shell of fresh seeds prevents the rapid appearance of sprouts. Sometimes they try to file it or soften it with hot water. I advise you to do without these extremes and simply create for seed germination best conditions using two simple operations. First, place the seeds in a thermos with clean and slightly warmed snow water for two days - ideally with a tiny addition of natural biostimulants - sodium humate preparations. And after that, transfer the bones to any small closed container with damp hydrogel, sphagnum moss or at least sawdust and keep it near the battery for a month and a half central heating, where the temperature is 30-35°C.

After 3-4 weeks, the swollen seeds will have to be checked periodically: they should not dry out. And when spiky sprouts appear, immediately plant them in pots 10-12 cm high with loose, moist soil - a mixture of turf soil, peat and sand in equal parts. Moreover, it is better not to stick the sprouted seeds vertically, but to lay them horizontally, cut side down, covering them with 2-3 cm of soil. Do not rush to move your plantings to a cool windowsill, where the air is also excessively dry. Case will go wherever It’s faster if, until the shoots emerge (until this point, lighting is not needed), you place the pot inside a transparent and tightly tied plastic bag and keep it in a warm place, for example in the kitchen, not far from the stove.

When planted in winter, shoots resembling thick green carnations will appear in the spring, but not earlier than April - May, when it becomes warmer on the windowsill and there is no threat of frosty drafts. The optimal temperature for seedlings is 20-25°C. Subsequently, grown date palms in the winter-spring months tolerate temperatures of 12-15 degrees, and in the summer - with the temperature that occurs in middle lane. The main thing is that the plants receive maximum amount lights and stood as close to the glass as possible.

FURTHER CARE

The development of the date palm is accelerated by replanting: until the age of three, replant the plant annually, then once every five years. They replant (or rather, reload) with the same earthen lump, since the palm tree reacts very painfully to injury to its thick, but very tender and vulnerable roots. By the way, the roots of the date palm are taprooted and very powerful, so the plants are planted, if possible, in the deepest cone-shaped pots, which at first are not very large. At the bottom of such dishes it is necessary to pour a two-centimeter drainage layer of charcoal, expanded clay or moss.

The soil mixture for growing palm trees should be loose, moist, nutritious and consist of turf, leaf soil and sand, taken in equal parts. It is useful to add a little ready-made purchased humus to the most ordinary poor soil, in a ratio of 1 part humus and 5 parts soil.

If you move to a summer house in the summer, it is better to take a palm tree with you: it will feel great on a bright terrace or veranda. From June to August, the plant can be placed outside, at the entrance to the house, or under the crown of a young apple tree.

Your plant will not acquire the appearance of an exotic palm tree with dissected leaves in the first or even in the second year - at first the leaves grow linear, not like palm leaves. They will become dissected and beautiful later, and to bring this time closer and “get” leaves without dried brown tips, periodically moisten them ambient air: spray the leaves with water from a spray bottle with a fine spray, and also in the spring and winter months, feed with a solution of flower or complex mineral fertilizer every 10 days.

With the massive spread of insect pests - false scale insects, spider mites, aphids - you will have to spray the palm tree with one of the powerful insecticides.

So, armed with the knowledge, why not take on the challenge of creating your own personalized palm grove?

A popular oriental sweet - dates - are very tasty. This is a great substitute for candy. Dates are rich in various vitamins and microelements. Dates are used in cooking, as well as in medicine to treat nervous diseases, insomnia and intestinal problems. Sometimes date lovers wonder what kind of tree dates grow on.

So, dates are the fruits that grow on certain types of date palms. Dates first appeared in the hot countries of the Middle East and North Africa. In ancient times, dates grew in areas where Egypt is located today, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, . However, Indians believe that dates first appeared on their lands. And many scientists are inclined to think that ancient Mesopotamia is the birthplace of date trees.

Today dates can be found growing, except eastern countries, in Australia, Mexico, USA. And even on the Black Sea coast of Russia date palms grow, but the trees here do not bear fruit as abundantly as in the tropics.

Dates can often be found on the shelves of our stores and markets. But not everyone knows how dates grow and how they are collected.

How does a date begin to grow?

The date palm, grown in the natural conditions of a hot climate, is a tree up to 30 m high with beautiful feathery leaves, the length of which can reach 5 m. To collect fruits from such tall tree, workers climb a palm tree, cut bunches of dates and lower them to the ground, where they are then dried.

As practice shows, dates grow well at home. However, a plant grown at home will not produce fruit, although some dates may even bloom indoors.

If you decide to grow a date palm at home, you can do this by planting a seed in the ground. You should know that only a seed from a fruit that has not been subjected to heat treatment is suitable for planting.

Before planting, the date pit must be peeled and washed well. After this, it is advisable to slightly air dry it. Some people try to speed up the germination of the bone, but it will happen on its own, maybe a little longer. It is better to plant several seeds to increase the likelihood of germination. Be sure to lay a layer of drainage at the bottom of the container, since the date palm does not tolerate stagnant water. The soil should consist of clay, humus, leaf soil, peat and sand in equal proportions.

When planting, the seed goes vertically into the ground by about one and a half lengths. The soil in the container with the date pit should be slightly moist at all times. After 1-3 months, sprouts will appear in place of the planted seeds. When they grow to 10-15 cm, the plants should be transplanted into separate, not very wide containers. The main thing is that the pots are deep enough, since during this period the seedling begins to actively grow roots.

The date palm will need to be replanted annually for the first 5 years, and the pot size should be slightly increased each time. The method of replanting a palm tree is only by transshipment, since the plant has fragile roots. The container with the grown palm tree should be placed in a bright place away from heating devices. In summer, the palm tree will feel good in the fresh air.

The date palm loves moist air, so you can even spray it several times a day in the summer. Wipe palm leaves with a damp cloth as often as possible, which will improve appearance tree and add moisture to it. The date plant thrives even in direct sunlight. The only thing you need to do in this case is to regularly turn the palm tree so that it forms a beautiful, uniform crown.

During the summer months, the date palm requires abundant watering, but in winter the need for water is reduced to a minimum.

Dates are one of the most important staple foods for the populations of hot deserts and semi-deserts in the tropical and subtropical regions of North Africa and Western Asia. Their dried fruits are sold in stores all over the world. Some types of dates are also popular as ornamental houseplants.

The date palm is the most important fruit crop of tropical deserts and semi-deserts

Dates are the fruit of the date palm. All the numerous varieties of dates presented on the world market belong to one botanical species - the palmate date (true date palm).

The fruits of some other date palm species are also edible and are used as food by local populations in the regions where they grow, but these fruits are not supplied to the world market.

Dates are the fruits of the date palm

The true date palm is widely grown in North Africa, West Asia, Pakistan and the dry areas of India. Small palmate date plantations are also found on the Mediterranean coast of Southern Europe, in the hot, dry regions of the USA, in Australia and South Africa. This is one of the few plants ideally adapted to the hot, dry climate of southern deserts and semi-deserts.

Dates are widely grown along the Mediterranean coast, including in Southern Europe.

For date plantations choose sunny places with the presence of underground aquifers or with the possibility of artificial irrigation. When planting, seedlings are placed according to a pattern of 8 x 8 or 10 x 10 meters, depending on varietal characteristics and soil conditions. As planting material They use suckers from adult fruit-bearing plants. Date palm seedlings are very heterogeneous in their economic characteristics and are not used for establishing industrial plantations.

When and how do dates bloom?

The date palm is a dioecious plant. Male and female inflorescences are located on different specimens. Date palms are pollinated by the wind. When establishing commercial plantations, for every few dozen female trees, a male specimen must be planted for cross-pollination. Date palms bloom from February to November, depending on the variety and region. The sex of plants can only be determined during flowering. It takes about a year for the fruit to ripen.

Male inflorescences of date palms do not bear fruit, but are necessary for pollination.

Male date palms bloom in large cystic inflorescences consisting of small three-petal flowers with numerous stamens. For better pollination, the blossoming male inflorescences are often cut and hung in the crowns of flowering female trees.

In the old days, cut male inflorescences were often dried and stored in reserve for several years in linen bags to ensure a harvest of dates even if the male pollinator tree died.

Male date palm flowers have three petals and several stamens.

On female date palm trees, the inflorescences are also arranged in large clusters, but they look a little different.

The female inflorescence of a date palm is the basis of the future date harvest

The female date flower looks like a small ball without petals. In case of successful pollination, a date fruit will grow from each such ball-flower.

Female date palm flowers look like tiny balls without petals.

How do dates bear fruit?

Date palms begin to bear fruit early. The first fruits on female specimens appear already at the age of four. By this time, young palm trees do not yet have time to grow a tall trunk, and clusters of dates often end up lying on the ground. On some plantations, such clusters of fruit are tied to supports to avoid contact with the soil, but this is not always done and not everywhere. That is why dates purchased at the market or in a store are strongly recommended to be washed before consumption, especially in countries with unfavorable sanitary and epidemiological conditions.

Young date palms often have fruit clusters in contact with the ground.

Date harvesting is done by hand. This is very dangerous and hard work. Pickers climb trees and use special curved knives to cut off clusters of ripe fruits, then carefully lower them to the ground.

Harvesting dates by hand is hard and dangerous work.

In the northern hemisphere, the date ripening season lasts from May to December. Fruits begin to be harvested in May early varieties in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. The main harvest in most countries of North Africa and Western Asia takes place from August to October.

Picking dates in Tunisia (video)

An adult date palm can simultaneously have from 3 to 20 large clusters of fruits. The weight of each hand usually ranges from 7 to 18 kilograms. The harvest from young trees is small, only 10–20 kilograms of fruits per tree, but every year it increases and by 15 years the trees already produce 60–100 kilograms of dates per year. Productivity of mature palms in good conditions can reach 150–250 kilograms of dates from each tree annually. Palm trees bear fruit for up to 80–100 years or more; there are known cases of regular fruiting of 200-year-old trees.

On an adult palm tree, several large clusters of dates ripen at once during the fruiting period.

An individual date fruit is a juicy, fleshy berry with one large seed. The color of dates, depending on the variety, is yellow, orange, red or brownish. The size of the fruit reaches 8 centimeters in length and 4 centimeters in diameter. Each fruit contains one large oblong stone with a longitudinal groove.

Each date contains one large oblong seed.

Different varieties of dates are used for food either fresh or dried. Fresh dates can only be tasted in the regions where they grow. Dried fruits that can be stored for many months are supplied to the world market. Depending on the variety, they turn out soft, semi-dry or dry.

The benefits and harms of dates

Dates are a very popular sweet treat that can replace candy and sugar. They contain small amounts of B vitamins, carotene (provitamin A) and vitamin K. minerals Dates are especially rich in potassium and also contain calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and small amounts of iron, sodium, zinc, copper and manganese. The high potassium content makes dates beneficial for cardiovascular diseases. The calorie content of dates is very high and reaches 280–340 kcal per 100 grams of product, depending on the variety.

Sweet, high-calorie dates are strictly contraindicated for diabetes and obesity. Healthy people should not overuse this delicacy.

Sweet and tasty dates are just a popular delicacy, but not a panacea for all diseases.

The articles that flood the Internet about the mythical super-health benefits of dates have absolutely no scientific basis.

Yes, dates are indeed one of the staple foods of the poor population of the tropical desert zone, but this happens only for the banal reason that other agricultural plants simply do not survive in the hot and dry desert climate.

What are king dates and where do they grow?

Royal dates are the commercial trade name for the fruit of the Medjoul date palm, grown in many countries in North Africa and Western Asia, as well as in South Africa and the United States. Royal dates differ from other varieties only in their larger sizes and nothing else, they chemical composition completely identical to other varieties.

Royal dates are the fruit of the date palm large-fruited variety Medjoul

Royal date plantation on video

Other types of date palms, their distribution in the wild and in culture

In addition to the most widely known palmate date, there are several other related date palm species. All of them have large feathery leaves, reaching several meters in length, and are dioecious plants (male and female flowers develop on different specimens).

Types of date palms and regions of their growth in the wild (table)

Date palmate

The date palm (true date palm, common date palm) usually grows to a height of 10–15 meters, sometimes up to 25–30 meters. Numerous suckers are formed at the base of the trunks of mature palm trees and are used for propagation. It is generally accepted that in wildlife the real date palm has not survived, and all its numerous specimens, found in abundance in the deserts and semi-deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, are wild descendants of cultivated plants and grow on the site of abandoned ancient oases.

Numerous shoots are formed at the base of the trunks of common date palms

The palmate date is very light-loving and tolerates high temperatures, strong winds and dust storms that often occur in deserts. Tolerates soil salinity relatively easily. This palm can grow on clean sand and is very drought-resistant, but only if its roots reach deep underground waters, otherwise it needs regular irrigation. In the dry climate of deserts and semi-deserts, the palmate date easily withstands short-term frosts down to -15°C, but in a more humid climate it dies at -9°C.

The true date palm is one of the very few plants that can grow in desert conditions

The Theophrastus date (Cretan date palm) grows up to 15 meters in height. In nature, this palm is found in southern Greece, Crete and several neighboring islands, on the nearby coast of Turkey. This is the only date palm species growing wild in Europe. The size of the Cretan date fruits does not exceed 1.5 centimeters in length and 1 centimeter in diameter, they have fibrous pulp with a mediocre taste, but sometimes they are still used as food by the local population. This palm produces a lot of basal shoots. The Cretan date can withstand short-term temperature drops down to -11°C.

Date Theophrastus - the only wild date palm in Europe

The date canariensis (Canarian date palm) usually grows 10–20 meters high, but in exceptional cases can reach 40 meters in height. This palm is endemic to the Canary Islands and is not found anywhere else in the wild. Widely grown as an ornamental plant in open ground in Southern Europe, Western Asia, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, North and South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and in the subtropics of North and South America. In countries temperate climate very popular as a houseplant and greenhouse plant. Compared to the palmate date, the Canarian date is more resistant to high humidity air, which ensured its widespread distribution throughout the world. The Canarian date palm can withstand short-term cold snaps down to -9°C.

The Canarian date is often grown as an ornamental tree in countries with subtropical climates.

On the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, the Canarian date usually blooms in late autumn, but in some years flowering can begin much earlier, already in mid-summer. If in winter after flowering there were no frosts below -5°C, then in December next year the fruits will ripen. The mature fruits of the Canary date are yellowish-brown, ovoid in shape, reaching 2.5 centimeters in length and 1.5 centimeters in width. In principle, they are edible, but in practice they are not eaten due to the coarse fibrous pulp.

The fruits of the Canarian date look attractive, but are inedible due to the coarse fibrous pulp

The date palm (date palm, wild date palm, Senegalese date palm) originates from tropical Africa, where it is grown almost everywhere. This is a multi-stemmed palm tree with a height of 7 to 15 meters. Its small fruits are edible and widely used as food by the local population. African countries in its natural growth zone. This palm is resistant to salty sea spray and moderate drought, therefore it is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in the dry tropical regions of many countries around the world. Maximum frost resistance -5°C. Rejected date easily crosses with other date palm species. Such hybrid seedlings in their own way economic qualities often turn out to be significantly worse than the original parent forms.

Rejected date - wild African date palm with edible fruits

The forest date (wild date palm, Indian date palm, silver date palm, sugar date palm) is native to India and adjacent countries (Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka). Grows from 4 to 15 meters in height. The fruits are edible and widely used as food by the local population. In terms of fruit quality, this palm ranks second after the palmate date and is actively grown as a fruit crop in South Asian countries.

Timber date is an Indian date palm, often grown on plantations in India and surrounding countries.

Sweet sap is also extracted from the trunks of this palm tree and is used to make sugar and palm wine. The forest date is drought tolerant and moderately resistant to soil salinity. Maximum frost resistance -5°C.

The fruits of the Indian date palm are almost as good in quality as real dates.

Date rock (date stony) grows up to 6, sometimes up to 8 meters in height. Found naturally in the mountain forests of India and Bhutan. It is grown very rarely in cultivation. Its small fruits with large seeds do not exceed 2 centimeters in length. They are edible, but have no economic importance. Maximum frost resistance -3°C.

The rock date is native to the mountain forests of the Himalayas.

The Robelena date (dwarf date palm) grows no higher than 3 meters in height. Found naturally in the forests of Vietnam, Laos and Southern China. This beautiful miniature palm tree is very popular as an ornamental plant in the tropical zone and in indoor culture. Dies in frosts below -3°C. The fruits are small and have no economic value.

The Robelena date is a very popular ornamental plant.

The marsh date (mangrove date palm, sea date) is a medium-sized palm tree, reaching no more than 5 meters in height. It grows in coastal mangrove forests on the sea coasts of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. The only type of date that can grow in marshy soils. This is a very heat-loving plant of the humid tropics, almost never found in cultivation due to its specific requirements for growing conditions. The fruits are very small.

The marsh date is a plant of humid tropical mangrove forests.

The fruits of all types of date palms are edible, none of them are poisonous, but many of them have no economic significance due to their too small size or coarse fibrous pulp.

Fruits of different types of date palms (photo gallery)

The Canarian date is often grown as an ornamental plant on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus

More resistant to high air and soil humidity, the Canarian date is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus in Russia ( Krasnodar region), Abkhazia and Georgia. Individual specimens of the Canary date are also found on the southern coast of Crimea and in Azerbaijan (Baku, Lankaran).

In the collections of botanical gardens of the subtropical zone Krasnodar region In Russia there are also single specimens of the forest date and the rejected date, but these species have not become widespread.

Date palms should be planted in well-sunny areas protected from cold winds. The soil should be well drained, without stagnant water. The Canary date grows best in soils with a high lime content.

Young date palm plants are less frost resistant than mature ones

Young date palm plants often freeze even during short-term frosts down to -8..-9°C, so they usually have to be insulated for the winter using reed mats or breathable agrofibre. When covering in winter, it is especially important to protect the apical growth point at the base of young leaves from frost. If the growing point is significantly damaged, the palm tree almost inevitably dies. Adult palms, as a rule, are more hardy, but at -10..-12°C they are severely damaged and can die.

In the conditions of Ukraine, any types of date palms in open ground very short-lived even with winter shelter.

Growing date palms at home

Often grown in indoor and greenhouse culture different kinds date palms. The most popular dates are palmate, canarian and robelena dates. The last two are more decorative, but novice gardeners most often experiment with palmate because of the easy availability of its seeds (you can sow seeds from those sold in grocery stores food dates). The palmate date is often grown indoors due to the easy availability of its seeds. The Robelena date is better than other species for indoor cultivation and is very decorative.

Of course, no fruiting or harvest of dates in room conditions there is no need to expect. The indoor date palm is a purely ornamental plant.

At home, it is easy to grow a date palm from seeds from purchased dates:

How to sow date pits correctly (video)

The first feathery leaves appear on date palm seedlings 1–3 years after sowing. If at this age the leaves still remain intact, it means the plants do not have enough light. Date palms are very light-loving. In summer you can put them on the balcony or in the garden; it is very useful for them to be in the fresh air. In winter, the room temperature should be around +15°C. Moderate watering is required; the soil in the pot should always be slightly moist in the depths. Over-drying of the earthen coma and over-moistening are equally dangerous. Pots for date palms are preferably tall, with mandatory drainage holes in the bottom and a drainage layer of pebbles or expanded clay at the bottom of the pot. Young plants are replanted every year in the spring, adults can be replanted less often, once every 2–3 years. For very large old plants growing in large and heavy containers, it is sometimes recommended that instead of labor-intensive replanting, one should limit oneself to partial replacement of the top layer of soil with fresh soil. It is not necessary to spray palm leaves with water, but it is necessary to regularly wipe them from dust with a slightly damp cloth or sponge.

Date Robelena - one of the most beautiful indoor palm trees with feathery leaves

During my childhood, in the spacious and bright lobby of our school, among other plants, there were several large and beautiful date palms in wooden tubs with a capacity of about twenty or thirty liters each. I don’t remember that they were ever replanted, but we were regularly sent to wipe the leaves while on duty.
My own attempts to grow dates from seeds were not particularly successful: the first time, nothing simply sprouted (probably, the fruits turned out to be too old or overheated during drying, they were very suspiciously dry). And the second time, although I managed to wait for the shoots, my dirty omnivorous cat decided that this was some new cat grass, and quickly dealt with the palm seedlings.