Palm - Phoenix Canariensis - Canary Island Date Palm

Easily grown in a rich strong loam enriched with leafmold and sand. Plants grow in poor dry soils in the wild. Requires very good drainage with abundant moisture in the summer and a sunny position. Another report says that plants grow well in dry conditions and are drought tolerant. Tolerates low light levels and can be grown in the home. Requires a position sheltered from the wind and cold.

This species tolerates occasional short-lived lows down to about -10°c. It will not tolerate recurring bouts of freezing over several days, nor does it survive freezing of the root system. Plants are hardy in the milder areas of Britain, succeeding from S. Hampshire south and westwards. Plants growing outdoors at Kew fruited in October 1989.

Phoenix canariensis is native to the Canary Islands which are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of northeast Africa. These stately palms are popular landscape items in near frost-free climates around the world. They are grown throughout Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. They are planted in warm areas of the western U.S. including Arizona, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Widely used on the French Riviera, this palm provides a distinctive look to the Mediterranean resorts.

This palm is very slow growing when young. Once the trunk reaches it's full diameter the growth rate increases. Fertilize in spring and summer. It is tolerant of most well drained soils. Keep lawn grasses and mulch away from trunk. Use light, fast draining soilmix when growing in containers. Young plants are very susceptible to leaf spot and other fungus infections when grown in humid climates.

The orange dates are formed on drooping, highly branched infloresences and are very decorative. They are edible but not very tasty.

This is NOT a good palm tree for residences unless you have a really BIG garden - or a Mediterrean style mansion (which they decorate very nicely!) The huge bulk of the Canary Island palm dwarfs most houses. This palm is best used along boulevards, on campuses and in parks and grouped in trios to form focal points in cityscapes. I particularly like the look of a trio of these palms of different heights, with their trunks floodlit at night - very dramatic! Small specimens make great container plants - they look especially nice in large terra cotta pots. In colder regions they can be over-wintered indoors in a cool bright location.

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