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{{short description|Palm tree cultivated for its sweet fruit}}
{{For|other species of date palms|Phoenix (plant)#Species}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=3}}
{{speciesbox
|image = Dates005.jpg
|image_alt = Date bunches on a palm
|genus = Phoenix
|species = dactylifera
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|synonyms_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-152659|title=Phoenix dactylifera L. — The Plant List|website=www.theplantlist.org|access-date=12 June 2015|archive-date=17 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417123456/http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-152659|url-status=live}}</ref>
|synonyms = * ''Palma dactylifera'' <small>(L.) Mill.</small>
* ''Phoenix chevalieri'' <small>D.Rivera, S.Ríos & Obón</small>
* ''Phoenix iberica'' <small>D.Rivera, S.Ríos & Obón</small>
}}

'''''Phoenix dactylifera''''', commonly known as the '''date palm''',<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | access-date = 10 December 2017}}</ref> is a flowering-plant species in the palm family [[Arecaceae]], cultivated for its edible sweet [[#Fruits|fruit]] called '''dates'''. The species is widely cultivated across [[North Africa|northern Africa]], the [[Middle East]], the [[Horn of Africa]], [[Australia]], [[South Asia]], and [[California]].<ref name=kew/> It is [[Naturalisation (biology)|naturalized]] in many [[Tropics|tropical]] and [[Subtropics|subtropical]] regions worldwide.<ref name="kew">{{Cite web|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:668912-1|publisher=Plants of the World Online &#124; Kew Science|title=''Phoenix dactylifera'' L.|date=2024|access-date=1 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Phoenix%20dactylifera.png|title=Biota of North America Project, ''Phoenix dactylifera''|access-date=19 April 2014|archive-date=20 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420031950/http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Phoenix%20dactylifera.png|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027092|title=''Phoenix dactylifera'' in Flora of China @ efloras.org|website=eFloras, Flora of China|access-date=19 April 2014|archive-date=20 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420041036/http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027092|url-status=live}}</ref> ''P.&nbsp;dactylifera'' is the [[type species]] of genus ''[[Phoenix (plant)|Phoenix]]'', which contains 12–19 species of [[Wild date palm|wild date palms]].<ref name="Krueger"/>

Date palms reach up to {{convert|30|m|ft|-1|abbr=off}} in height, growing singly or forming a [[Clumping (biology)|clump]] with several stems from a single root system. Slow-growing, they can reach over 100{{nbsp}}years of age when maintained properly.<ref name=Hodel>{{cite book | last1=Hodel | first1=D.R. | last2=Johnson | first2=D.V. | title=Imported and American Varieties of Dates (''Phoenix Dactylifera'') in the United States | publisher=[[University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources]] (UCANR) | year=2007 | isbn=978-1-879906-78-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R0XjojWqfqcC&pg=PA13 | access-date=2022-03-24 | page=13 | archive-date=8 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408151042/https://books.google.com/books?id=R0XjojWqfqcC&pg=PA13 | url-status=live }}</ref> Date fruits (dates) are oval-cylindrical, {{convert|3|to|7|cm|abbr=off|in|frac=2}} long, and about {{convert|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} in diameter, with colour ranging from dark brown to bright red or yellow, depending on variety. Containing 61–68{{nbsp}}percent sugar by mass when dried,<ref>{{cite web |title=Dates, deglet noor |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171726/nutrients |website=FoodData Central |publisher=US Department of Agriculture |access-date=25 May 2020 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403171801/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171726/nutrients |url-status=live }}</ref> dates are very sweet and are enjoyed as desserts on their own or within [[confectionery|confections]].

There is archaeological evidence of date cultivation in Arabia from the 6th{{nbsp}}millennium&nbsp;BCE.<ref name="judea">{{Cite journal |last1=Sallon |first1=Sarah |last2=Cherif |first2=Emira |last3=Chabrillange |first3=Nathalie |last4=Solowey |first4=Elaine |last5=Gros-Balthazard |first5=Muriel |last6=Ivorra |first6=Sarah |last7=Terral |first7=Jean-Frédéric |last8=Egli |first8=Markus |last9=Aberlenc |first9=Frédérique |date=2020-02-07 |title=Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies |journal= [[Science Advances]] |language=en |volume=6 |issue=6 |pages=eaax0384 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aax0384 |issn=2375-2548 |pmc=7002127 |pmid=32076636|bibcode=2020SciA....6..384S }}</ref> Dates are "emblematic of [[oasis]] agriculture and highly symbolic in Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religions".<ref name="judea" />

== Description ==

Date palms reach up to {{convert|30|m|ft|-1|abbr=off}} in height, growing singly or forming a clump with several stems from a single root system. Slow-growing, they can reach over 100 years of age when maintained properly.<ref name="Hodel" /> The roots have [[pneumatode]]s.<ref name="Halli-Mangenot-1986">{{cite journal |last1=Belarbi-Halli |first1=R. |last2=Mangenot |first2=F. |date=1986-08-01 |title=Bayoud disease of date palm: ultrastructure of root infection through pneumatodes |journal=Canadian Journal of Botany |volume=64 |issue=8 |pages=1703–1711 |doi=10.1139/b86-228 |issn=0008-4026}}</ref> The [[leaves]] are {{convert|4|-|6|m|ft|abbr=on}} long, with spines on the [[petiole (botany)|petiole]], and [[pinnate]], with about 150 leaflets. The leaflets are {{convert|30|cm|in|0|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|2|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} wide. The full span of the crown ranges from {{convert|6|-|10|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

The date palm is [[dioecious]], having separate male and female plants. They can be easily grown from seed, but only 50% of seedlings will be female and hence fruit-bearing, and dates from seedling plants are often smaller and of poorer quality. Most commercial plantations thus use [[Cutting (plant)|cuttings]] of heavily cropping cultivars. Plants grown from cuttings will fruit 2–3 years earlier than seedling plants.

[[File:דקל תמר מצוי חתך גזע דמוי עץ (3).jpg|thumb|''Phoenix dactylifera'' trunk section. As with other members of the [[Arecaceae|palm family]], date palms do not produce annual [[tree rings]].]]
[[File:Phoenix dactylifera 0zz.jpg|thumb|Leaves of the date palm ]]
Dates are naturally wind-[[pollination|pollinated]], but in traditional oasis horticulture and modern commercial orchards, they are entirely [[Hand-pollination|hand-pollinated]]. Natural pollination occurs with about an equal number of male and female plants. With assistance, one male can pollinate up to 100 females. Since the males are of value only as pollinators, they are usually pruned in favor of fruit-producing female plants. Some growers do not maintain male plants, as male flowers become available at local markets at pollination time. Manual pollination is done by skilled labourers on ladders, or by use of a wind machine. In some areas, such as Iraq, the pollinator climbs the tree using a special climbing tool that wraps around the tree trunk and the climber's back (called {{lang|ar|تبلية}} in Arabic) to keep him attached to the trunk while climbing.{{fact|date=May 2024}}

Date fruits are oval-cylindrical, {{convert|3|-|7|cm|abbr=on|in|frac=2}} long, and {{convert|2|-|3|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} diameter, and when ripe, range from bright red to bright yellow in colour, depending on variety. Dates contain a single [[Drupe|stone]] (seed) about {{convert|2|-|2.5|cm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|6|-|8|mm|in|abbr=on|frac=32}} thick. Three main [[cultivar group]]s exist: ''soft'' (e.g., [[Medjool]]); ''semi-dry'' (e.g., [[Deglet Noor]]), and ''dry'' (e.g., [[Thoory]]).{{cn|date=May 2024}}

=== Genome ===
[[File:Germination of Date Palm.jpg|thumb|right|Germination of date palm]]

A draft genome of ''P. dactylifera'' (Khalas variety) was published in 2011<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Al-Dous |first1=Eman K. |last2=George |first2=Binu |last3=Al-Mahmoud |first3=Maryam E. |last4=Al-Jaber |first4=Moneera Y. |last5=Wang |first5=Hao |last6=Salameh |first6=Yasmeen M. |last7=Al-Azwani |first7=Eman K. |last8=Chaluvadi |first8=Srinivasa |last9=Pontaroli |first9=Ana C. |last10=DeBarry |first10=Jeremy |last11=Arondel |first11=Vincent |last12=Ohlrogge |first12=John |last13=Saie |first13=Imad J. |last14=Suliman-Elmeer |first14=Khaled M. |last15=Bennetzen |first15=Jeffrey L. |date=June 2011 |title=De novo genome sequencing and comparative genomics of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) |journal=Nature Biotechnology |language=en |publication-date=2011 |volume=29 |issue=6 |pages=521–527 |doi=10.1038/nbt.1860 |issn=1546-1696|doi-access=free |pmid=21623354 }}</ref> followed by more complete genome assemblies in 2013<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Al-Mssallem |first1=Ibrahim S. |last2=Hu |first2=Songnian |last3=Zhang |first3=Xiaowei |last4=Lin |first4=Qiang |last5=Liu |first5=Wanfei |last6=Tan |first6=Jun |last7=Yu |first7=Xiaoguang |last8=Liu |first8=Jiucheng |last9=Pan |first9=Linlin |last10=Zhang |first10=Tongwu |last11=Yin |first11=Yuxin |last12=Xin |first12=Chengqi |last13=Wu |first13=Hao |last14=Zhang |first14=Guangyu |last15=Ba Abdullah |first15=Mohammed M. |date=2013-08-06 |title=Genome sequence of the date palm Phoenix dactylifera L |journal=Nature Communications |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=2274 |doi=10.1038/ncomms3274 |issn=2041-1723 |pmc=3741641 |pmid=23917264|bibcode=2013NatCo...4.2274A }}</ref> and 2019.<ref name="Hazzouri-2019" /> The later study used long-read sequencing technology. With the release of this improved genome assembly, the researchers were able to map genes for fruit color and sugar content.<ref name="Hazzouri-2019">{{cite journal | doi=10.1038/s41467-019-12604-9 | title=Genome-wide association mapping of date palm fruit traits | year=2019 | last1=Hazzouri | first1=Khaled M. | last2=Gros-Balthazard | first2=Muriel | last3=Flowers | first3=Jonathan M. | last4=Copetti | first4=Dario | last5=Lemansour | first5=Alain | last6=Lebrun | first6=Marc | last7=Masmoudi | first7=Khaled | last8=Ferrand | first8=Sylvie | last9=Dhar | first9=Michael I. | last10=Fresquez | first10=Zoë A. | last11=Rosas | first11=Ulises | last12=Zhang | first12=Jianwei | last13=Talag | first13=Jayson | last14=Lee | first14=Seunghee | last15=Kudrna | first15=David | last16=Powell | first16=Robyn F. | last17=Leitch | first17=Ilia J. | last18=Krueger | first18=Robert R. | last19=Wing | first19=Rod A. | last20=Amiri | first20=Khaled M. A. | last21=Purugganan | first21=Michael D. | journal=Nature Communications | volume=10 | issue=1 | page=4680 | pmid=31615981 | pmc=6794320 | bibcode=2019NatCo..10.4680H }}</ref> The [[New York University Abu Dhabi|NYU Abu Dhabi]] researchers had also re-sequenced the genomes of several date varieties to develop the first single nucleotide polymorphism map of the date palm genome in 2015.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1038/ncomms9824 | title=Whole genome re-sequencing of date palms yields insights into diversification of a fruit tree crop | year=2015 | last1=Hazzouri | first1=Khaled M. | last2=Flowers | first2=Jonathan M. | last3=Visser | first3=Hendrik J. | last4=Khierallah | first4=Hussam S. M. | last5=Rosas | first5=Ulises | last6=Pham | first6=Gina M. | last7=Meyer | first7=Rachel S. | last8=Johansen | first8=Caryn K. | last9=Fresquez | first9=Zoë A. | last10=Masmoudi | first10=Khaled | last11=Haider | first11=Nadia | last12=El Kadri | first12=Nabila | last13=Idaghdour | first13=Youssef | last14=Malek | first14=Joel A. | last15=Thirkhill | first15=Deborah | last16=Markhand | first16=Ghulam S. | last17=Krueger | first17=Robert R. | last18=Zaid | first18=Abdelouahhab | last19=Purugganan | first19=Michael D. | journal=Nature Communications | volume=6 | page=8824 | pmid=26549859 | pmc=4667612 | bibcode=2015NatCo...6.8824H }}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The species name ''dactylifera'' 'date-bearing' is [[Latin]], and is formed with the loanword {{lang|la|dactylus}} in Latin from [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] {{lang|grc-Latn|daktylos}} ({{lang|grc|δάκτυλος}}), which means 'date' (also 'finger'),<ref name="LSJ|da/ktulos|δάκτυλος|ref">{{LSJ|da/ktulos|δάκτυλος|ref}}</ref> and with the native Latin {{lang|la|fero}}, which means 'to bear'.<ref>{{L&S|fero|fĕro|ref}}</ref> The [[fruit]] is known as a date.<ref>"Date Palm". 15 October 2008. [[HowStuffWorks]].com.</ref> The fruit's English name (through [[Old French]], through [[Latin]]) comes from the Greek word for 'finger', {{lang|grc|δάκτυλος}},<ref name="LSJ|da/ktulos|δάκτυλος|ref"/> because of the fruit's elongated shape.

== Distribution ==
The place of origin of the date palm is uncertain because of long cultivation. According to some sources it probably originated from the [[Fertile Crescent]] region straddling Egypt and [[Mesopotamia]]<ref name="Krueger">{{cite web | last=Krueger | first=Robert R | title=Date Palm Genetic Resource Conservation, Breeding, Genetics, And Genomics In California | publisher=The Conference Exchange | url=https://pag.confex.com/pag/xx/recordingredirect.cgi/id/137 | format=PDF | access-date=2018-03-26 | archive-date=8 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408151051/https://pag.confex.com/recording/pag/xx/pdf/free/4db77adf5df9fff0d3caf5cafe28f496/paper1427_1.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref> while others state that they are native to the [[Persian Gulf]] area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/date-palm|access-date=2021-03-06|website=iranicaonline.org|title=Date palm|archive-date=18 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418045821/https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/date-palm|url-status=live}}</ref> Fossil records show that the date palm has existed for at least 50 million years.<ref name=NPRmedjool>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15282847|title=Medjool: A Date to Remember|date=17 October 2007|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=19 April 2015|archive-date=31 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331115916/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15282847|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Ecology ==
[[File:Dubas sootymould2.jpg|thumb|right|Sooty mould, nymph and larval cuticle of ''[[Ommatissus lybicus]]'', Oman]]
{{Further|List of date palm diseases}}
A major palm pest, the red palm beetle (''[[Rhynchophorus ferrugineus]]''), currently poses a significant threat to date production in parts of the Middle East as well as to iconic landscape specimens throughout the Mediterranean world. Another significant insect pest is ''[[Ommatissus lybicus]]'', sometimes called the "dubas bug", whose sap sucking results in [[sooty mould]] formation.

In the 1920s, eleven healthy [[Medjool]] palms were transferred from Morocco to the United States where they were tended by members of the [[Chemehuevi]] tribe{{which|date=January 2015}} in a remote region of Nevada. Nine of these survived and in 1935, cultivars were transferred to the U.S. Date Garden in [[Indio, California]]. Eventually this stock was reintroduced to Africa and led to the U.S. production of dates in [[Yuma, Arizona]] and [[Bard, California]].<ref name="ICN_Allen">{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Lee |date=25 April 2014 |title=How One Indian Couple Saved 'The Fruit of Kings' |work=Indian Country News |url=https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/how-one-indian-couple-saved-the-fruit-of-kings |access-date=2021-11-02 |archive-date=2 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102163119/https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/how-one-indian-couple-saved-the-fruit-of-kings |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Cultivation==
Dates are a traditional crop throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Dates (especially [[Medjool]] and [[Deglet Nour]]) are also cultivated in the southwestern United States, and in [[Sonora]] and [[Baja California]] in Mexico.

Date palms can take 4 to 8 years after planting before they will bear fruit, and start producing viable yields for commercial harvest between 7 and 10 years. Mature date palms can produce {{convert|150|-|300|lb|kg|order=flip|abbr=off|-1}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/GEPTS/pb143/CROP/DATE/date.htm|title=The Date, ''Phoenix dactylifera''|access-date=19 April 2015|archive-date=23 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323050415/http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/gepts/pb143/CROP/Date/Date.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/2002/sp0212.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/2002/sp0212.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title = Publications &#124; Extension &#124; University of Nevada, Reno}}</ref> of dates per harvest season. They do not all ripen at the same time so several harvests are required. To obtain fruit of marketable quality, the bunches of dates must be thinned and bagged or covered before ripening so that the remaining fruits grow larger and are protected from weather and animals, such as birds, that also like to eat them.

Date palms require well-drained deep [[sandy loam]] soils with a pH of 8–11 (alkaline). The soil should have the ability to hold moisture and also be free of [[calcium carbonate]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Date Palm – ''Phoenix dactylifera'' |url=https://www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/PalmPhoenixDactiliferaFruitipedia.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406053205/https://www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/PalmPhoenixDactiliferaFruitipedia.htm |archive-date=6 April 2019 |access-date=2019-04-06 |website=www.growables.org}}</ref>

===Agricultural history===
Dates have been cultivated in the Middle East and the Indus Valley for thousands of years, and there is archaeological evidence of date cultivation in [[Mehrgarh]], a Neolithic civilization in western Pakistan, around 7000&nbsp;BCE<ref name="KenoyerHeuston2005">{{cite book |last1=Kenoyer |first1=Jonathan Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7CjvF88iEE8C&pg=PP1 |title=The Ancient South Asian World |last2=Heuston |first2=Kimberley Burton |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-19-522243-2 |series=The World in Ancient Times |access-date=30 July 2013}}{{Page needed|date=July 2013}}</ref> and in [[eastern Arabia]] between 5530 and 5320 [[Radiocarbon dating#Calibration|calBC]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tengberg |first1=M. |date=November 2012 |title=Beginnings and early history of date palm garden cultivation in the Middle East |journal=Journal of Arid Environments |volume=86 |pages=139–147 |bibcode=2012JArEn..86..139T |doi=10.1016/j.jaridenv.2011.11.022}}</ref> Dates have been cultivated since ancient times from Mesopotamia to [[prehistoric Egypt]]. The [[ancient Egypt]]ians used the fruits to make date [[wine]] and ate dates at harvest.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} Evidence of cultivation is continually found throughout later civilizations in the Indus Valley, including the [[Harappa]]n period from 2600 to 1900&nbsp;BCE.<ref name="KenoyerHeuston2005" />
[[File:Mazafati dates - whole, halved and seed.jpg|thumb|Mazafati dates]]
One [[cultivar]], the [[Judean date palm]], is renowned for its long-lived [[orthodox seed]], which successfully sprouted after accidental storage for 2,000 years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fountain |first=Henry |date=2008-06-17 |title=Date Seed of Masada is Oldest Ever to Sprout |newspaper=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/science/17obseed.html |access-date=9 December 2021 |archive-date=9 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209185228/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/science/17obseed.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In total seven seeds about 2000 years old have sprouted and turned into trees named Methuselah, Hannah, Adam, Judith, Boaz, Jonah and Uriel.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies|first1=Sarah|last1=Sallon|first2=Emira|last2=Cherif|first3=Nathalie|last3=Chabrillange|first4=Elaine|last4=Solowey|first5=Muriel|last5=Gros-Balthazard|first6=Sarah|last6=Ivorra|first7=Jean-Frédéric|last7=Terral|first8=Markus|last8=Egli|first9=Frédérique|last9=Aberlenc|date=7 February 2020|journal=Science Advances|volume=6|issue=6|pages=eaax0384|doi=10.1126/sciadv.aax0384|pmid=32076636|pmc=7002127|bibcode=2020SciA....6..384S }}</ref> The upper survival time limit of properly stored seeds remains unknown.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bonner |first=Franklin T. |date=April 2008 |title=Chapter 4 Storage of Seeds |url=http://www.nsl.fs.fed.us/Chapter%204.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.nsl.fs.fed.us/Chapter%204.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |access-date=2008-06-21 |work=Woody Plant Seed Manual, USDA FS Agriculture Handbook 727 |publisher=National Seed Laboratory, 5675 Riggins Mill Rd, Dry Branch, GA 31020}}</ref> A genomic study from New York University Abu Dhabi Center for Genomics and Systems Biology showed that domesticated date palm varieties from North Africa, including well-known varieties such as [[Medjool]] and [[Deglet Nour]], share large parts of their genome with Middle East date palms and the Cretan wild palms,''[[Phoenix theophrasti|P.&nbsp;theophrasti]]'', as well as Indian wild palms, ''[[Phoenix sylvestris]]''.

An article on date palm tree cultivation is contained in [[Ibn al-'Awwam]]'s 12th-century agricultural work, ''Book on Agriculture''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ibn al-'Awwam |first=Yaḥyá |author-link=Ibn al-'Awwam |url=https://archive.org/details/lelivredelagric00algoog/page/n14/mode/2up |title=Le livre de l'agriculture d'Ibn-al-Awam (kitab-al-felahah) |publisher=A. Franck |year=1864 |location=[[Paris]] |pages=321–326 (ch. 7 – Article 43) |language=fr |translator=J.-J. Clement-Mullet |oclc=780050566}}</ref>

=== Cultivars ===
{{Main|List of date cultivars}}
A large number of [[date cultivar]]s and varieties emerged through history of its cultivation, but the exact number is difficult to assess. Hussain and El-Zeid<ref>{{cite report|publisher=Ministry of Agriculture and Water, Saudi Arabia |year=1975 |title=Studies on physical and chemical characteristics of date varieties of Saudi Arabia |last1=Hussain |first1=Fazal |last2=El-Zeid |first2=A}}</ref> (1975) have reported 400 varieties, while Nixon<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nixon |first=R.W. |year=1954  |title=Date culture in Saudi Arabia |journal=Ann. Date Growers' Instit. |issue=31 |pages=15–20}}</ref> (1954) named around 250. Most of those are limited to a particular region, and only a few dozen have attained broader commercial importance. The most renowned cultivars worldwide include [[Deglet Noor]], originally of Algeria; Yahidi and Hallawi of Iraq; [[Medjool]] of Morocco; [[Mazafati]] of Iran.<ref name="HuiBarta2008">{{cite book|first1=Jiwan S.|last1=Sidhu|editor-first1=Y. H.|editor-last1=Hui|editor-first2=József|editor-last2=Barta|editor-first3=M. Pilar|editor-last3=Cano|title=Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vu8gsgLeW-YC&pg=PA396|chapter=22. Date Fruits Production and Processing|date=28 February 2008|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-27648-8|pages=396–|access-date=29 July 2021|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408151130/https://books.google.com/books?id=Vu8gsgLeW-YC&pg=PA396|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Production ==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:right; width:14em; text-align:center; margin-right:1em;"
|+ Dates production – 2022
|-
! colspan=2|<small>millions of tonnes</small>
|-
|{{EGY}} || 1.7 
|-
|{{SAU}} || 1.6
|-
|{{ALG}} || 1.2
|-
|{{IRN}} || 1.0
|-
|{{PAK}} || 0.7
|-
|{{IRQ}} || 0.7
|-
!World || 9.7
|-
|colspan=2|<small>Source:[[UN Food and Agriculture Organization]], Statistics Division</small><ref name="FAO">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|title=Dates production in 2022, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2024|publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database ([[FAOSTAT]])|access-date=1 May 2024}}</ref>
|}

In 2022, world production of dates was 9.7 million [[tonne]]s, led by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria accounting for 46% of the total (table).

== Nutrition ==
Date palm fruits contain 21% water, 75% [[carbohydrate]]s (63% sugars and 8% [[dietary fiber]]), 2% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], and less than 1% [[fat]] (table). In a {{convert|100|g|oz|frac=2|adj=on}} reference amount, dates supply {{convert|1180|kJ|kcal|abbr=off}} of [[food energy]], and are a rich source (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of [[Potassium in biology|potassium]] (22% DV) and a moderate source of [[pantothenic acid]], [[vitamin B6]], and the [[dietary minerals]], [[magnesium in biology|magnesium]] and [[manganese in biology|manganese]] (10-19% DV), with other [[micronutrient]]s in low amounts.

The primary carbohydrates are [[Monosaccharide|monosaccharides]], comprising [[glucose]] (23-30%), [[fructose]] (19-28%), and [[Non-starch polysaccharide|non-starch polysaccharides]] (7-10%) of the fruit's total weight.<ref name="dpfh">{{cite journal|journal=Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research|place=India|doi=10.7860/JCDR/2020/43026.13442|title=The Role of Date Palm Fruit in Improving Human Health|date=2020 |last1=Al-Mssallem |first1=Muneera Qassim |doi-access=free}}</ref> The [[sucrose]] content is negligible.<ref name="Yasawy p.">{{cite journal |last=Yasawy |first=Mohammed I. |title=The unexpected truth about dates and hypoglycemia |journal=Journal of Family & Community Medicine |year=2016 |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=115–8 |doi=10.4103/2230-8229.181008 |pmc=4859097 |pmid=27186159 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

The [[glycemic index]] (GI) for different varieties of the date palm fruit is in the range of 38-71, with 53 on average,<ref name="dpfh"/><ref name="alkaabi">{{cite journal |last1=Alkaabi |first1=Juma M |last2=Al-Dabbagh |first2=Bayan |last3=Ahmad |first3=Shakeel |last4=Saadi |first4=Hussein F |last5=Gariballa |first5=Salah |last6=Ghazali |first6=Mustafa Al |date=2011-05-28 |title=Glycemic indices of five varieties of dates in healthy and diabetic subjects |journal=Nutrition Journal |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=59 |doi=10.1186/1475-2891-10-59 |issn=1475-2891 |pmc=3112406 |pmid=21619670 |doi-access=free }}</ref> indicating dates are a relatively low GI food source.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=CJ |last2=Dunn |first2=EV |last3=Hashim |first3=IB |year=2002 |title=Glycemic index of 3 varieties of dates |journal=Saudi Medical Journal |volume=23 |issue=5 |pages=536–8 |pmid=12070575}}</ref> The [[glycemic load]] (GL) value of date palm fruits, calculated for a serving size of three fruits (weighting 27 grams) is 9 on average, indicating that dates have low GL.<ref name="dpfh"/>

Like many other fruits, dates contain measurable levels of [[Calcium oxalate|calcium oxalates]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Foods High in Oxalates |url=https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-oxalates |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=WebMD |language=en |archive-date=12 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212014838/https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-oxalates |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Date forks in lizard stand.jpg|right|thumb|Antique date forks in rack]]

== Uses ==
{{Cookbook|Date}}

=== Fruits ===
Dry or soft dates are eaten out-of-hand, or may be pitted and stuffed with fillings such as [[almond]]s, [[walnut]]s, pecans, candied [[Orange (fruit)|orange]] and [[lemon]] [[Peel (fruit)|peel]], [[tahini]], [[marzipan]] or [[cream cheese]]. Pitted dates are also referred to as ''stoned dates''. Partially dried pitted dates may be glazed with [[glucose syrup]] for use as a snack food. Dates can also be chopped and used in a range of sweet and savory dishes, from [[tajine]]s (tagines) in [[Morocco]] to [[pudding]]s, ''[[ka'ak]]'' (types of Arab cookies) and other dessert items. Date nut bread, a type of cake, is very popular in the United States, especially around holidays. Dates are also processed into cubes, paste called ''<nowiki/>'ajwa'', spread, [[Date honey|date syrup or "honey"]] called "dibs" or ''[[Rub (syrup)|rub]]'' in Libya, powder (date sugar), [[vinegar]] or [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]]. Vinegar made from dates was a traditional product of the [[Middle East]].<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1021/ie50319a016 | title = Vinegar from Dates | year = 1936 | last1 = Das | first1 = Bhagwan | last2 = Sarin | first2 = J. L. | journal = Industrial & Engineering Chemistry | volume = 28 | issue = 7 | pages = 814}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Y84UAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA78 | title = Studies in Ancient Technology | publisher = E.J. Brill | location = Netherlands | last1 = Forbes | first1 = Robert James | volume = 1 | year = 1971 | access-date = 20 June 2015 | archive-date = 17 March 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230317154434/https://books.google.com/books?id=Y84UAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA78 | url-status = live }}</ref> Recent innovations include [[chocolate]]-covered dates and products such as sparkling date juice, used in some Islamic countries as a non-alcoholic version of [[Champagne (wine)|champagne]], for special occasions and religious times such as [[Ramadan]]. When Muslims break fast in the [[iftar|evening meal of Ramadan]], it is traditional to eat a date first.

Reflecting the maritime trading heritage of [[British cuisine|Britain]], imported chopped dates are added to, or form the main basis of a variety of traditional dessert recipes including [[sticky toffee pudding]], [[Christmas pudding]] and [[date and walnut loaf]]. They are particularly available to eat whole at [[Christmas]] time. Dates are one of the ingredients of [[HP Sauce]], a popular British condiment.

In Southeast Spain (where a large date plantation exists including [[UNESCO]]-protected [[Palmeral of Elche]]) dates (usually pitted with fried almond) are served wrapped in [[bacon]] and shallow-fried. In Palestine date syrup, termed ''silan'', is used while cooking chicken and also for sweets and desserts, and as a honey substitute. Dates are one of the ingredients of ''[[jallab]]'', a Middle Eastern fruit syrup. In Pakistan, a viscous, thick syrup made from the ripe fruits is used as a coating for leather bags and pipes to prevent leaking.

==== Forks ====
In the past, sticky dates were served using specialized small forks having two metal tines, called ''[[:nb:Gaffel#Gaffeltyper|daddelgaffel]]'' in Scandinavia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=dragonflywink |title=Jensen fork |url=https://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum26/HTML/002730.html |website=Silver Salon Forums |publisher=SM Publications |access-date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=29 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729044517/https://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum26/HTML/002730.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Some designs were patented.<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office |date=1953 |publisher=US Patent Office |page=589 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D28bAQAAMAAJ&q=%22date+forks%22&pg=PA589 |access-date=6 October 2020 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408151121/https://books.google.com/books?id=D28bAQAAMAAJ&q=%22date+forks%22&pg=PA589 |url-status=live }}</ref> These have generally been replaced by an inexpensive pale-colored knobbled plastic fork that resembles a date branch, which is traditionally included with numerous brands of prepackaged trays of dates, though this practice has declined in response to increased use of resealable packaging and calls for fewer [[Disposable product|single-use plastics]].

=== Seeds ===
Date seeds are soaked and ground up for [[animal feed]]. Their oil is suitable for use in cosmetics and dermatological applications. The oil contains [[lauric acid]] (36%) and [[oleic acid]] (41%). Date palm seeds contain 0.56–5.4% lauric acid. They can also be processed chemically as a source of [[oxalic acid]]. Date seeds are also ground and used in the manner of [[coffee]] beans, or as an additive to coffee. Experimental studies have shown that feeding mice with the aqueous extract of date pits exhibit anti-genotoxic effects and reduce DNA damage induced by [[N-nitroso-N-methylurea]].<ref name="Diab KA">{{cite journal|last=Diab|first=K.A|author2=E. I. Aboul-Ela|title=In Vivo Comparative Studies on Antigenotoxicity of Date Palm (''Phoenix Dactylifera'' L.) Pits Extract Against DNA Damage Induced by N-Nitroso-N-methylurea in Mice|journal= Toxicology International|year=2012|volume=19|issue=3|pages=279–286|pmid=23293467|doi=10.4103/0971-6580.103669|pmc=3532774 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Fruit clusters ===
Stripped fruit clusters are used as brooms. Recently, the floral stalks have been found to be of ornamental value in households.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Kiran | first1 = S | year = 2014 | title = Floral Stalk on Date Palm: A New Discovery | doi = 10.3329/ijarit.v4i2.22649 | journal = International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology| volume = 4 | issue = 2| pages = 53–54| doi-access = free }}</ref>

=== Sap ===
[[File:Sweet sap from date palm.JPG|thumb|right|upright|Sweet [[Plant sap|sap]] tapped from date palm in [[West Bengal]], [[India]]]]

Apart from ''P. dactylifera'', wild date palms such as ''[[Phoenix sylvestris]]'' and ''[[Phoenix reclinata]]'', depending on the region, can be also tapped for sap.

The consumption of raw date palm sap is one of the means by which the deadly [[Nipah virus]] spreads from bats to humans.<ref name="Goats & Soda">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/01/31/1148681236/trying-to-crack-the-nipah-code-how-does-this-deadly-virus-spill-from-bats-to-hum|title=The Nipah virus has a kill rate of 70%. Bats carry it. But how does it jump to humans?|publisher=[[NPR]]|series=Goats and Soda|date=31 January 2023|access-date=16 September 2023|archive-date=27 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227110939/https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/01/31/1148681236/trying-to-crack-the-nipah-code-how-does-this-deadly-virus-spill-from-bats-to-hum|url-status=live}}</ref> The virus can be [[Inactivated vaccine|inactivated]] by boiling the sap down to [[molasses]].<ref name="Goats & Soda" /> (In [[Malaysia]], by contrast, 
the vector was found to be [[factory farming]] of [[pigs]].)<ref name="Goats & Soda" />

=== Leaves ===
In North Africa, date palm leaves are commonly used for making huts. Mature leaves are also made into mats, screens, baskets, and fans. Processed leaves can be used for [[Thermal insulation|insulating board]]. Dried leaf petioles are a source of [[cellulose]] pulp, used for walking sticks, brooms, fishing floats, and fuel. Leaf sheaths are prized for their scent, and fibre from them is also used for rope, coarse cloth, and large hats.

Young date leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, as is the terminal bud or heart, though its removal kills the palm. The finely ground seeds are mixed with [[flour]] to make bread in times of scarcity. The flowers of the date palm are also edible. Traditionally the female flowers are the most available for sale and weigh {{Convert|300|-|400|g|oz|frac=2}}. The flower buds are used in salad or ground with dried fish to make a [[condiment]] for bread.

== In culture ==
{{Further|Palm branch (symbol)|Plants in Islam}}

In [[Ancient Rome]], the palm fronds used in [[Roman triumph|triumphal]] processions to symbolize victory were most likely those of ''P.&nbsp;dactylifera''.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ernest Small |url=https://archive.org/details/topfoodplantswor00smal |title=Top 100 Food Plants |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-660-19858-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/topfoodplantswor00smal/page/n250 231] |publisher=NRC Research Press |url-access=limited}}</ref> The date palm was a popular garden plant in Roman [[peristyle]] gardens, though it would not bear fruit in the more temperate climate of Italy.<ref name="Linda Farrar 1998 141">{{cite book |author=Linda Farrar |title=Ancient Roman Gardens |year=1998 |page=141}}</ref> It is recognizable in frescoes from [[Pompeii]] and elsewhere in Italy, including a garden scene from the House of the Wedding of Alexander.<ref name="Linda Farrar 1998 141"/> In later times, traders spread dates around southwest Asia, northern Africa, and Spain. Dates were introduced into California by the Spaniards by 1769, existing by then around [[Mission San Diego de Alcalá]]<!--previous claim of Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán in 1765 should be looked into-->, and were introduced to Mexico as early as the 16th century.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rivera |first1=D. |last2=Johnson |first2=D. |last3=Delgadillo |first3=J. |last4=Carrillo |first4=M. H. |last5=Obón |first5=C. |last6=Krueger |first6=R. |last7=Alcaraz |first7=F. |last8=Ríos |first8=S. |last9=Carreño |first9=E. |date=2012 |title=Historical evidence of the Spanish introduction of date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'' L., Arecaceae) into the Americas |url=https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/download/60761/pdf |journal=Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution |volume=60 |issue=4 |pages=1437–1439, 1441–1442, 1444–1445 |doi=10.1007/s10722-012-9932-5 |s2cid=24146736 |access-date=8 May 2022 |archive-date=16 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616052526/https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/download/60761/pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Dates are mentioned more than 50 times in the [[Bible]] and 20 times in the [[Quran]]. Date palms holds great significance in [[Abrahamic religions]]. The tree was heavily cultivated as a food source in [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|ancient Israel]] where [[Judaism]] and subsequently [[Christianity]] developed.<ref name="James Hastings 1909">{{cite book |author=James Hastings |url=https://archive.org/details/jstor-27900187 |title=Dictionary of the Bible |publisher=The Monist |year=1909 |page=675}}</ref> Date palm leaves are used for [[Palm Sunday]] in the Christian religion.

Many Jewish scholars believe that the "honey" reference in Exodus chapter 3 to "a land flowing with milk and honey" is actually a reference to date "honey", and not honey from bees.<ref>[https://outorah.org/p/5705/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304220604/https://outorah.org/p/5705/|date=4 March 2022}}, JEWISH ACTION Magazine, Winter 5765/2005 issue</ref> In the [[Torah]], palm trees are referenced as symbols of prosperity and triumph.<ref>Psalm 92.12</ref> Psalm 92:12 states that "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree." Palm branches occurred as iconography in sculpture ornamenting the [[Second Jewish Temple]] in Jerusalem, on Jewish coins, and in the sculpture of synagogues. They are also used as ornamentation in the [[Feast of the Tabernacles]].<ref name="James Hastings 1909" /> Date palms are one of the [[Seven Species|seven species]] of native Israeli plants revered in Judaism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cooper |first=John |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/27266322 |title=Eat and be satisfied : a social history of Jewish food |date=1993 |publisher=Jason Aronson |isbn=0-87668-316-2 |location=Northvale, N.J. |oclc=27266322}}</ref> The date palm has historically been considered a symbol of [[Judea (Roman province)|Judea]] and the Jewish people.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/457130327 |title=Jerusalem und die Länder : Ikonographie, Topographie, Theologie ; Festschrift für Max Küchler zum 65. Geburtstag |date=2009 |publisher=Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht |first1=Max |last1=Küchler |first2=Gerd |last2=Theissen |isbn=978-3-525-53390-1 |location=Göttingen |oclc=457130327}}</ref> The leaves are used as a [[lulav]] in the Jewish holiday of [[Sukkot]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Karo |first=Joseph ben Ephraim |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/421411475 |title=The Metsudah Kitzur Shulchan Aruch |date=1999 |publisher=Metsudah Publications |oclc=421411475}}</ref> They are also commonly used as the [[s'chach]] in the construction of a [[sukkah]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=KKL Preparing for Distribution of "Schach" |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/171541 |access-date=2021-03-05 |website=Israel National News |date=24 September 2009 |language=en |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308203445/https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/171541 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the Quran, [[Allah]] instructs ''Maryām'' (the Virgin Mary) to eat dates during labour pains when she gives birth to Isa (Jesus).<ref>The Quran, [http://quran.al-islam.com/Page.aspx?pageid=221&BookID=15&Page=306 Chapter 19 - verses 22-25] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402095722/http://quran.al-islam.com/Page.aspx?pageid=221&BookID=15&Page=306 |date=2 April 2015 }}, retrieved on 28 Feb. 2015, ''So she [Virgin Mary] conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. she cried (in her anguish): 'Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!' But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): 'Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree; it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee.' ''</ref> In [[Islam]]ic culture, dates and yogurt or milk are traditionally the first foods consumed for [[Iftar]] after the sun has set during [[Ramadan]].

In [[Mandaeism]], the date palm ([[Mandaic language|Mandaic]]: {{transl|myz|sindirka}}, which can refer to both the tree and its fruit<ref name="Secret Adam">{{cite book|last=Drower|first=E. S.|author-link=E. S. Drower|date=1960|title=The secret Adam: a study of Nasoraean gnosis|location=Oxford|publisher=Clarendon Press}}</ref>) symbolizes the [[cosmic tree]] and is often associated with the cosmic wellspring ([[Mandaic language|Mandaic]]: {{transl|myz|aina}}). The date palm, associated with masculinity, and wellspring, associated with femininity, are often mentioned together as heavenly symbols in [[Mandaean texts]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Nasoraia | first=Brikha | title=The Mandaean Rivers Scroll (Diwan Nahrawatha): an analysis | publisher=Routledge | publication-place=London | year=2022 | isbn=978-0-367-33544-1 | oclc=1295213206 | url=https://www.routledge.com/The-Mandaean-Rivers-Scroll-Diwan-Nahrawatha-An-Analysis/Nasoraia/p/book/9780367335441 | access-date=21 October 2022 | archive-date=8 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008012726/https://www.routledge.com/The-Mandaean-Rivers-Scroll-Diwan-Nahrawatha-An-Analysis/Nasoraia/p/book/9780367335441 | url-status=live }}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>

File:Dried date, peach, apricot, and stones. From Lahun, Fayum, Egypt. Late Middle Kingdom. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London.jpg|Dried date, peach, and apricot from Lahun, Fayum, Egypt. Late [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]]
File:Emblem of Saudi Arabia.svg|Date palm in the [[emblem of Saudi Arabia]]
File:Date palm cutting growing on the trunk.jpg|Date palm cutting growing on the trunk
Image:Date-seller.jpg|Date seller in the old [[souq]] in [[Kuwait City]]
File:Abu Dhabi – Corniche 3 - أبو ظبي - الكورنيش - panoramio.jpg|Palm trees and other trees in the middle of the road (Abu Dhabi, Middle East).
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0681E/t0681e02.htm Date palm products] (additional information from the FAO)
{{Commons}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Date Palm}}

{{Date cultivars}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q25292}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Date palm| ]]
[[Category:Desert fruits]]
[[Category:Drought-tolerant trees]]
[[Category:Edible palms]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Africa]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Asia]]
[[Category:Ornamental trees]]
[[Category:Phoenix (plant)|dactylifera]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753|Date palm]]
[[Category:Trees of Africa]]
[[Category:Tropical agriculture]]
[[Category:Fruit trees]]
[[Category:Plants in the Bible]]

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Return to Date palm.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_palm"