Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

Family: Arecaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (5/5)

Date Palm or Phoenix dactylifera is an evergreen, flowering palm growing up to 30 m tall and up to 40 cm across. The short trunk has suckers at the base. The leaves are 4-6 m long, with spines on the petiole. The fruits are oval-cylindrical and bright red to yellow when ripe. The fruits are used to treat respiratory diseases and fevers. Gum obtained from the tree is used to treat diarrhea. The fruits are edible.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Flowers, Sap/Syrup, Pollen

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweetness to a variety of foods such as cakes, fruit pies, confectionary etc. — Fruit - raw or cooked.; The fruit is often dried and then eaten raw or used to add sweetness to a variety of foods such as cakes, fruit pies, confectionary etc.; The fruit is about 5cm long, 2.5cm in diameter, produced in clusters that can be as large as 1,500 fruits.; Male inflorescence - eaten as a delicacy.

Habitat & North American Range

The tree has been cultivated for so long that it is not known in a truly wild situation. (Zone 8)