DEGLET NOUR DATE Seeds | Phoenix dactylifera

Phoenix dactylifera is a single-stemmed, evergreen palm tree growing 15m - 40m tall. The unbranched stem is topped by a terminal crown of 100 - 120 leaves that can each be 4m - 7m long on a short stem up to 50cm long. The date palm is one of the longest cultivated plants in the world, having been grown at least 5,000 years ago. It is an enormously important crop in many dry tropical and subtropical areas, where its fruit often forms a staple food for long periods of the year. The plant is also widely used for many other purposes and outside its natural arid zone, is commonly grown as an ornamental.

STEP 1 - Soak the seeds for 24 hrs in warm spring water.

STEP 2 - Sow the seeds 1cm deep in Seed Raising Mix.

STEP 3 - Water once a week. Germination is slow and takes 2 - 3 months.

STEP 4 - Once the seedling is 5cm tall, plant into the garden in its permanent position in full sun.

Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit is often dried and then eaten raw or used to add sweetness to a variety of foods such as cakes, fruit pies and confectionery. The fruit is about 5cm long, 2.5cm in diameter, produced in clusters that can be as large as 1,500 fruits. Male inflorescence is eaten as a delicacy. The pollen is also eaten. Wherever fruiting is poor, the sap is tapped and becomes the main product from the tree. It can be drunk fresh, fermented and distilled and drunk as the spirit 'Arrack'. The apical bud is sweet and can be eaten as a vegetable called Palm Cabbage.

Deglet Nour Dates are demulcent, expectorant and laxative. They are used to treat respiratory diseases and fevers. The tree yields a gum that is used in treating diarrhoea.

Being a salt tolerant species, the date has been used for decades for the revegetation of salt affected lands in the Mediterranean region. Whilst young, date trees occupy a lot of space, so a decision to introduce it into cultivated fields must be taken carefully. But once mature, the wide crown grows high above the field crops, and it little affects the yield of cultivated crops. In many places, numerous palms are found in arable fields of suitable regions.

The leaves are widely used for a variety of purposes. They make an excellent thatch, being used to make roofs and walls of huts. A fibre obtained from the leaves, base of the leaves and bark can be used to make ropes, baskets, hats and mats. A fibre obtained from the leaf petiole, combined with other suitable material, is used for making insulating boards. Dried leaves, with their stiff, woody rachis, are used for fencing. An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient. Both the fruit juice and the powdered fruit are used as ingredients in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner. An extract of the leaves is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin protector and masking agent. The seeds are used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a moisturiser and skin conditioner. The wood in the outer portion of the stem is strong and resistant to termites. It is much valued for use in construction. The stems are used for fuel.