Common Name(s): True Date Palm, Arabian Date Palm

Synonym(s):

Family: Arecaceae

Native To: Probably originally in West Asia and North Africa

Native Habitat: Desert

Growth Habit: Single or multiple trunks, topped with crown of large leaves

Flowering:

Distinguishing Characteristics: The leaves of the date palm are long and feather-shaped, in contrast to palms whose leaves are fan-shaped. The trunk is rough and gray and reaches 18 inches in diameter, making it more slender than other commonly cultivated feather-leafed palms. Single trunks can reach 100 feet tall, and offshoots are produced next to the main trunk, making the natural form of the date palm a clump of several trunks, as seen Northeast of Old Main.

Natural History and Cultivation Notes:

Ethnobotany: The date palm was one of the earliest plants to be cultivated by humans, starting approximately 6000 years ago. It has been the staple for nomadic peoples in Arabia and North Africa, producing edible fruits (dates!) and useful fibers from the leaves.

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