Phoenix dactylifera or the date palm is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf.

It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with several stems from a single root system. Their leaves are 3–5 m long, with about 150 leaflets. The leaflets are 30 cm long and 2 cm wide. The full span of the crown ranges from 6 to 10 m.

The fruit is known as a date. The fruit’s English name, as well as the Latin species name dactylifera, both come from the Greek word for “finger,” dáktulos, because of the fruit’s elongated shape.

Dates are oval-cylindrical, 3–7 cm long, and 2–3 cm diameter, and when unripe, range from bright red to bright yellow in color, depending on the variety.

Dates contain a single seed. The three main cultivar groups are soft, semi-dry and dry. Dry and soft dates are eaten out-of-hand, or may be pitted and stuffed with delicious fillings.

Pitted dates are also referred to as stoned dates. Partially dried pitted dates may be glazed with glucose syrup for use as a snack food. Dates can also be chopped and used in a range of sweet and savory dishes.

Date nut bread, a type of cake, is very popular in the United States, especially around holidays. Dates are also processed into cubes and paste.

Recent innovations include dates covered with chocolates and products such as sparkling date juice, used in some Islamic countries as a non-alcoholic version of champagne, for special occasions and religious times such as Ramadan.

Dates can also be dehydrated, ground and mixed with grain to form a nutritious stock feed. Dried dates are fed to camels, horses and dogs in the Sahara. In northern Nigeria, peppers and dates are added to the native beer to make it less intoxicating.

Young date leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, as is the terminal bud or heart, though its removal kills the palm.

The finely ground seeds are mixed with flour to make bread in times of scarcity. The flowers of the date palm are also edible. Traditionally the female flowers are the most available for sale and weigh 300–400 grams. The flower buds are used in salad or ground with dried fish to make a condiment for bread.

Dates may be considered as an ideal food, providing a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits.”

Dates are a very good source of dietary potassium. The sugar content of ripe dates is about 80%; the remainder consists of protein, fiber, and trace elements including boron, cobalt, copper, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc.

Date palms are tapped for the sweet sap which is converted into palm sugar or alcoholic beverages. Special skill is required when tapping the palm tree so that it does not die.