What palm species produces the edible fruit called dates?

What palm species produces the edible fruit called dates? The answer is the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera. Its sweet, elongated fruits are the dates eaten fresh, dried, stuffed, pressed into paste, or made into syrup.

The date palm belongs to the palm family Arecaceae and is native to a broad region stretching from the Gulf area toward Pakistan. It thrives in hot, dry climates, especially where its roots can reach reliable water. Mature trees can grow to about 30 metres and may live for more than a century when maintained well.

Date cultivation is ancient. Archaeological evidence places date growing in Arabia by the 6th millennium BC, and oasis communities made the palm a foundation of desert agriculture. Dates also hold major cultural and religious significance in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions.

The date palm is not the same as an areca palm, sago palm, or oil palm. Those palms have different fruits and uses. Phoenix is the genus of date palms, while dactylifera identifies the familiar cultivated species.