Date palm – The Edible Date

Date palm or Phoenix dactylifera L. is known to be the world’s oldest food producing plant. It has no branches but amazingly it has a large crown of leaves. Its slender trunk can reach a height of about about 30 m. The plant features a set of blue-green leaves of about 10 to 20 feet in length and are arranged in such a way that the upper leaves are ascending while the basal leaves are recurved. Date palm flowers are small, whitish, fragrant flowers that are clustered in axillary spadices. Its fruits, on the other hand, are oblong shaped berries which are dark-orange in color when ripe and contains a woody seed. The Date palm fruit exhibits a unique finger-like shape and is believed to be the source of the dactylifera name which was taken from the Greek word “Daktulos” meaning finger.

Date palm has many uses. From its fruits up to its trunks, the plant proves very useful. The seeds, for instance, are used for animal feed. Its oil are used as components of soaps and cosmetics. The plant is believed to contain tannin which is used medicinally. In Italy, Date palm leaves are used for religious purposes. Just like the other palms under the genus Phoenix, Date palm is best as an outdoor palm or as an ornamental plant indoors.

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