If a young date with its several narrow branches sticking out in different directions does not cause delight, then an adult date palm is a completely different matter. Its gorgeous thick trunk, covered with scales from the remains of fallen lower leaves, is crowned with a luxurious cap of young large foliage. Date palm, caring for it at home (photo will follow) is easy to care for - the plant is unpretentious. Having initially created conditions for it that are as close to natural as possible, all you have to do is maintain them. And wait patiently until these couple of leaves turn into a real tree. But believe me, it’s worth it, especially since you don’t have to do anything special. Watering, fertilizing and transplanting - that’s the whole list of activities.
In nature, the date palm reaches simply gigantic sizes and can grow up to 30 m in height. Low-growing varieties are grown at home. Most often you can find a compact Robelena date no more than 3 m high.
Benefit
Now we will tell you what beneficial properties date palm fruits have. For starters, it has a huge impact on the cardiovascular system, which is why people suffering from heart or blood pressure problems simply need to eat dates.
This fruit actively affects the immune system, thereby strengthening human immunity. This dried fruit even helps men suffering from problems in their sex life.
Dates help in treating gastrointestinal problems. Therefore, people who suffer from gastritis, ulcers, and constipation should include at least a small amount of dates in their diet.
This fruit undoubtedly helps fight insomnia. It should also be included in the diet of women, since it has a positive effect on nails, hair and skin better than any cosmetic preparations.
It is often recommended to take this fruit with you to school or school, as it promotes activity throughout the day and significantly increases performance!
But one of the most important properties of dates is that they prevent the appearance of malignant tumors. How many benefits are there in dates!
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)
| Russian name | Latin name | Mature tree height | Distribution in nature |
| Date palmate | Phoenix dactylifera | 10–30 meters | North Africa, Middle East |
| Date of Theophrastus | Phoenix theophrasti | up to 15 meters | Southern Greece, Crete, Türkiye |
| Date canarian | Phoenix canariensis | 10–20 meters | Canary Islands |
| Date rejected | Phoenix reclinata | from 7 to 15 meters | Africa |
| Forest date | Phoenix sylvestris | from 4 to 15 meters | India and surrounding countries |
| Date rock | Phoenix rupicola | up to 6–8 meters | Himalayas |
| Date Robelena | Phoenix roebelenii | up to 3 meters | Southeast Asia |
| Marsh date | Phoenix paludosa | up to 5 meters | India, Southeast Asia |
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 the real date palm has not survived in the wild, 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 water, 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
Date of Theophrastus
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
Date canarian
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 temperate countries it is very popular as a houseplant and greenhouse plant. Compared to the palmate date, the Canarian date is more resistant to high air humidity, which has ensured its wide 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 the fruits will ripen in December next year. 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
Date rejected
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 are widely used as food by the local population of African countries in its natural growth area. 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 often turn out to be significantly worse in their economic qualities than the original parental forms.
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Rejected date - wild African date palm with edible fruits
Forest date
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 the countries of South Asia.
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 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 significance. Maximum frost resistance -3°C.
The rock date is native to the mountain forests of the Himalayas.
Date Robelena
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.
Marsh date
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 palmate date is the main fruit crop in many tropical countries with dry climates and produces fruits of the highest quality.
The fruits of the Cretan date are occasionally used as food by the local population
The fruits of the Canarian date are not used for food due to their coarse fibrous pulp.
The fruits of the Senegalese date are used as food by local people in Africa.
The fruits of the Indian forest date are of good quality and are widely used as food by local people.
The fruits of the rock date are edible, but have no economic value due to their small size
The fruits of the Robelena date are very small and are not used for food.
Small fruits of the mangrove date palm have no economic value
General characteristics
You need to understand that, like any other fruit, dates have a season. It is from October to November that you can buy fresh dates, but the rest of the time - only dried ones.
However, do not be afraid of the second option, since the benefits of dried dates are also great. In addition, dried fruit is stored much longer.
Why don’t the beneficial properties disappear after the fruit is dried? The answer is simple. Dates are dried naturally with the help of the sun; various syrups are not used for this.
Proteins – 2.7%. Fats – 0.6%. The calorie content of this fruit is high - about 282 calories per 100 grams.
Advice! After eating dates, you should brush your teeth thoroughly!
Growing date palms in open ground in the countries of the former USSR
During Soviet times, numerous experiments were carried out on the acclimatization of date palms on the territory of the USSR. However, it was possible to achieve successful growth and fruiting of the real date palm (date palmate) only in the dry subtropics of southern Turkmenistan. All the numerous dates sold in abundance in the bazaars of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are imported goods brought from more southern countries. In the Black Sea subtropics, the palmate date grows poorly and quickly dies due to excessive dampness.
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 Canary date is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant along the entire Black Sea coast of the Caucasus in Russia (Krasnodar Territory), 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 in the subtropical zone of the Krasnodar Territory of 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 the open ground are very short-lived, even with winter shelter.
Dates for weight loss
In ancient times, women noticed this amazing property of date palm fruits - burning fat. Although it would seem to be a very high-calorie sweetness.
Nowadays, famous nutritionists have experimentally proven this ability of dates. The sucrose they contain does not accumulate in fat folds, but is used to produce clean energy!
It was mentioned above that many people take dates with them to work or study. This is also easy to explain.
Even a small amount of them can relieve hunger for a long time. This is also a good snack for the night, when everyone is craving something unhealthy and fatty.
So, thanks to this article, you learned about the benefits of dates, their composition, and also became acquainted with their effect on the human body. We hope that we were useful to you and answered all your questions!
