Popular types of date palm trees in UAE

Date palm trees are among the first few things that pop in your mind, when you think of the Middle East, particularly UAE. They are a staple that you get to see not only throughout the landscapes, but also used profoundly as a logo on every other product. Hence, it makes an integral part of the local heritage and culture.

Why date palm?

The date fruit also has a lot of importance in the Arab culture, from providing strength to the nomadic Arabic people to being mentioned multiple times in the Holy Quran, it has been a source of food, shelter, and income in many regions of UAE. The significance of this fruit has led to an increase in the production and demand of it especially in the month of Ramadan.

Date Palms in Dubai

With around 44 million date palms spread across the country, efforts are under way to increase the number further. The government aims to encourage the farmers to embrace advanced agricultural methods and environment friendly techniques for a better tomorrow. With a vast array of date palm varieties available throughout the world, UAE has the varieties that are native to the local desert and do not require a lot of maintenance. The Phoenix varieties are the most common ones. Most of the species in this family tolerate heat well, therefore, making them a suit able and popular variety for the region.

They can grow as tall as 20 meters tall. They usually have single trunks but are sometimes are clumped as well. They usually have massive and thick trunks which make them graceful and stately. The trees have leaflets arranged on either side of the stem which are a foot long and can be harmful to they have eyes and the skin. The rate of growth of these trees is quite slow. They take up to 10 years to transform into a fully grown, mature tree.

Popular varieties of date palm

Canary Island Date Palm is the most sought after variety when it comes to ornamentation and planned landscaping. It is the tallest among the date palm varieties. The trunk is slightly rough with the crown bearing stretched, pinnate leaves that are pointy at the ends.

The Pygmy Date Palms are another popular species. They are small in height, reaching a maximum of 10 feet and are easy to grow. As they need more water than other varieties, they usually grow along rivers or other water reservoirs. The trees look beautiful with heavy crowns on a single stem. They are commonly produced for commercial uses. The leaves appear softer than most other varieties and in large numbers on the crowns. The leaves have spines; that is why they are not suitable for public places like sidewalks etc.

The Senegal Date Palm comes with multiple stems with variable height. Their stems are covered with hair and fiber. The trunks have a gentle curve, away from the center, and then grow upwards. Careful pruning and trimming are required to maintain these in proper, graceful shape to enhance the beauty of a landscape.