History

• According to Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products, archaeological evidence indicates that the eastern Arabians cultivated dates as early as 4,000 B.C. Early societies revered dates as a fertility symbol. Spanish explorers introduced date palms to California in 1769, while India and Pakistan began cultivating dates in the 19th century. Many distinct varieties of dates grow in Iraq, North Africa, Israel, Arizona and California.
  
  

Identification

• Phoenix dactylifera trees are naturally multi-stemmed but single-stemmed trees are created by trimming off the excess growth. They grow to be around 100 feet tall. Date palm trees have greenish or bluish-green leaves and thick gray trunks. Female trees only produce flowers and dates if they are planted near a male tree.
  
  

Cultivation

• Date palm trees are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 through 11, which includes Florida and Hawaii. They require regular pruning to remain single-trunked trees. Date palms, which tolerate a variety of different soil types and moisture levels, prefer full sunlight.
  
  

Additional Species

• Other species also called date palms include the Canary Island date palm Phoenix canariensis, which grows up to 60 feet tall with 18-foot long fronds. It produces edible, but not particularly flavorful dates, according to Floridata. The pygmy date palm Phoenix roebelenii, which is native to Asia, grows between 8 and 10 feet tall; female plants bear cream-colored blossoms followed by small black dates. Phoenix reclinata, a multiple-trunked palm, grows between 25 and 50 feet tall. Its dates are edible, but consist mainly of seeds, according to Floridata.