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Clusters of ripening red dates hang from the trunks of date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera) in a green, grassy grove. dried dates Buraydah, Saudi Arabia: date market
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Clusters of ripening red dates hang from the trunks of date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera) in a green, grassy grove.
Ripening dates, fruit of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is a tree cultivated for its sweet, edible fruit, also called a date. This fruit has been a vital food source and a symbol of wealth in North Africa and the Middle East since ancient times.12

The date palm can grow up to 23 meters (75 feet) tall and has long, graceful leaves. It produces a one-seeded fruit, typically oblong, with over 1,000 dates potentially growing on a single bunch. Dates have a long shelf life and are often sold dried, with the dried fruit being over 50 percent sugar by weight. Varieties like deglet noor are commonly sold dried, while medjool dates can be eaten fresh.1

In botanical terms, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a flowering plant that contains seeds. The date, being the fruit of the date palm, fits this definition.312

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