Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) thrive in warm, dry climates within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, where they are widely used as landscape ornamentals for their feathery fronds and striking, fan-shaped growth habit. Although they are most commonly propagated from offshoots, date palms will also grow reliably well from fresh seeds. The seeds require no pretreatment and will germinate quickly once exposed to warm, moist conditions. The resulting seedlings mature slowly and must be grown in pots for at least one year before planting them outdoors.
Gather date palm seeds in summer after the fruit fully ripens. Wait until the fruit darkens and begins to wrinkle or exude a fine, sugary sap. Collect several fruits to increase the likelihood of finding a viable seed.
Tear the fruit in half by hand. Pick out the large, pointed seed. Soak the seed in a bowl of water for 24 hours to soften the flesh. Pick out and discard any seeds that float to the surface because they are probably not viable. Gently scrub and rinse the seeds that sink to the bottom.
Fill 6-inch-deep pots with sterile medium, such as a mix of half milled peat and half perlite, or half seed-starting compost and half coarse sand. Add water until the medium feels moderately moist in the top 3 inches. Prepare one pot for each seed you want to plant.
Place one date palm seed in each container. Press the seed onto the surface of the growing medium so it is halfway buried. Cover the seed with a thin layer of coarse sand. Mist the sand liberally after sowing to help settle it onto the seed.
Place the containers in a bright, sheltered spot with indirect sunlight. Warm the containers with a germination mat set to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the containers with a propagator or a sheet of plastic wrap.
Maintain light moisture in the growing medium to prevent mold and bacterial growth while still providing the seed with the necessary moisture. Let the medium become nearly dry just beneath the surface, then water to a 1-inch depth.
Watch for the first grasslike sprouts in three to eight weeks. Leave the propagator and germination mat in place until the date palm seedlings reach 2 inches in height, then turn off the germination mat. Remove the propagator two weeks after germination.
Transplant the date palms into 1-gallon nursery containers filled with sand-based potting soil. Grow them under warm, bright conditions outdoors such as near a lightly shaded south-facing wall. Provide 2 inches of water weekly during their first summer.
Acclimate the date palm seedlings to direct sun at the end of their first summer by placing them in an increasingly bright position for more hours each day. Grow them in full sun for one full year to ensure their root system is strong and well-developed before out-planting them. Provide supplemental water during the summer and in winter if no rain falls for longer than two weeks.
Transplant the date palms into the landscape or into permanent planters in early summer of their second year. Grow them in full sun in sandy, fast-draining soil. Provide supplemental water for their first few years in the ground to promote fast growth.
Things You Will Need
- 6-inch-deep containers
- Sterile medium
- Coarse sand
- Germination mat
- Propagator or plastic wrap
- 1-gallon nursery containers
- Sand-based potting soil
- Floridata: Phoenix Dactylifera
- Texas A&M University Aggie Horticulture: Propagation of Selected Plant Species
- University of Nevada Cooperative Extension: Cultivated Palm Seed Germination
- University of Oklahoma Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology; Plant of the Week; Phoenix Dactylifera
- World Agroforestry Centre: Phoenix Dactylifera
- Seeds: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Successfully From Seed; Jekka McVicar
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images