Date Palm – Erakina

Date Palm Trees

Date Palm tree belongs to the palm family. It is a popular dry fruit known for its sweetness and is the staple food for a substantial population across the Middle East and North Africa. Date palm grows in the warm climate across the world. Though the tree is native to the Middle East, with time it has travelled to various parts of the world.

• Date palm originated in Iraq, but now can be found in various parts of the world apart from the Middle East such as Mexico, Canary Islands, and in the warm climates of Arizona, California, and Florida in the US. The popularity of the date palm is in its sweetness and longer shelf life. Date palm is an economical plant as each of its parts can be used from dry fruits to timber, ropes, and alcohol.
• So today we will get close to the uniqueness and popularity of date palm making it a global product.                                                                                                     The date palm trees covering the skyline

Scientific classification of Date Palm

Kingdom: Plantae

• Clade: Tracheophytes / Angiosperms / Monocots / Commelinids 
• Order: Arecales
• Family: Arecaceae
• Genus: Phoenix
• Species: P. dactylifera
• Scientific name: Phoenix dactylifera
  

How to grow a Date Palm tree

• Date palm trees require a warm climate to grow and the temperature varies above 200 Fahrenheit. The uniqueness of the date palm trees lies in their pollination as the trees are either male plants or females. Cross-pollination between the male and female plants takes place to bear the fruits of the date palm.
• The pollination of the date palm trees requires approximately 350 Celsius or 950 Fahrenheit. The date palm trees take almost four years to mature and start blooming during the offsets of winter or early spring. The fruits need hot and dry temperatures, especially warm nights to grow.

So the palm trees can be seen across regions sporting a warm climate like those in the Middle East, Egypt, and the warmer regions of the US. The trees can live up to 100 years and can grow to 36 meters or 120 feet. The trees need space to grow. If you want to plant palm trees in your garden, you need a lot of space for the plant to grow vertically and horizontally.
                                                                                                       Dates is a popular dry fruit across the world

Varieties of Dates

You will be amazed to know that there are various sorts of dates available in the market. The popular sorts of dates are –

• Barhi – The bahri are sweet and are found abundantly in Southern California. The dates from the palm trees are popularly used as desserts or snacks.
• Deglet Noor – It is a common date having a delicate flavor characterized by a nutty taste. 
• Halawi – These dates from the palm trees have a caramel flavor indulged in butter. 
• Kadrawi – It has a taste of syrup, alongside a mushy texture. This kind of date is good for baking activities. 
• Mazafati – The medium-sized dates have a sweet taste coupled with a fleshy and soft texture. 
• Medjool – These dates are big and quite juicy having a maple flavor that is good for baking and cooking.    

Use of Date Palm trees

• Each component of the date palm trees yields economic worth. 
• The trunk of the date palm trees as timber components. 
• The leaves of the date palm trees are used for furniture, basketry, fuel, and making crates. 
• The fruit stalks of date palms are used for fuel and ropes. 
• The fiber of the trees is for packaging materials.
• Various sorts of desserts like syrup are made from the fruit of date palms. 
• The date palms also produce vinegar, alcohol, and sorts of beverages. 
• The tender terminal buds of the date palm trees can be consumed as salads.  

                                                                                                       Dates is quite popular as snacks and desserts

• Dates from the date palm trees are quite nutritious. It comprises 75% of carbohydrates, 21% of water, 2% of protein, and fat less than 1%. So despite their sweetness, the dates are lower in calories and provide energy to the consumer to preserve their energy. The dates are accustomed to the popular culture as it has ample references in the Holy Bible and Quran.
• The fruit also finds a suitable place in various Jewish references like in their coins, synagogues, and literature. Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are the leading producer of dates while California has abundant date palm trees. The Tunisian and Algerian dates are quite in demand across Europe making it a popular dry fruit globally.

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