The impressive Phoenix Canariensis, aka the Canary Island Date Palm, makes a real impact in a garden. It even holds a prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit. A great evergreen tree for patios and conservatories, it has elegant arching leaves and, in hot summers, drooping bunches of creamy-yellow flowers can appear. But how do you care for the Phoenix Canariensis? How often do you water it? Find out all you need to know in our guide.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Phoenix canariensis, the Canary Island date palm or pineapple palm, is a species of flowering plant in the palm family Arecaceae, native to the Canary Islands off the coast of Northwestern Africa. It is a relative of Phoenix dactylifera, the true date palm. It is the natural symbol of the Canary Islands, together with the canary Serinus canaria. Mature P. canariensis are often used in ornamental landscaping and are collected and transplanted to their new planting location.
Phoenix canariensis is a large, solitary palm, 10–20 m (33–66 ft) tall, occasionally growing to 40 m (131 ft). The leaves, typically around 75 to 125 in number (but the record is for a tree on the French Riviera which bore 443 green, fresh leaves at one time), are pinnate, 4–6 m (13–20 ft) long, with 80–100 leaflets on each side of the central rachis. The fruit is an oval, yellow to orange drupe 2 cm (0.79 in) long and 1 cm (0.39 in) in diameter, and containing a single large seed; the fruit pulp is edible, but not the best of dates.
The Canary Island date palm is typically cultivated in wet-winter or Mediterranean climates, but also in wet-summer or humid subtropical climates such as eastern Australia and the southeastern United States. Even several instances are known of cultivated Canary Island date palms in high-latitude oceanic climates, such as Ireland, the UK, and the Channel Islands. It can be cultivated where temperatures rarely fall below −10 or −12 °C (14 or 10 °F) for extended periods, although it will require some protection if cold periods are longer than normal. It is a slowly growing tree, exclusively propagated by seed.
The palm is easily recognized through its crown of leaves and trunk characteristics. Seeing Canary Island date palms pruned and trimmed to enhance the appearance is not uncommon. When pruned, the bottom of the crown, also called the nut, appears to have a pineapple shape.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
The canary island date palm enjoys full sun, though light shade is also tolerated. A patio that receives a lot of direct sun is an excellent place for a pot-grown date palm. If you do choose to grow your canary island date palm inside, then it should be placed by a window that receives at least four hours of direct sunlight each day. The plant’s growth will be affected without access to sunlight, and if grown in the shade for long periods, the plant will do very poorly.
Temperature
Canary island date palm will thrive in temperatures around 32 to 38 ℃, as long as it has access to sunlight. It can also happily withstand temperatures as low as 7 ℃. However, if the temperature drops below -6 ℃, this could cause severe damage to the tree, particularly the fronds. Some species are more tolerant of low temperatures, but most will not survive freezing. Fruit production will also likely suffer at lower temperatures.
Watering
The canary island date palm does not do well in overly wet conditions, but should be watered regularly in the first few years, especially if growing in a pot. Extra water may also be needed when the tree is flowering or fruiting. Before watering, check that the surface layer of soil is dry to the touch. Water until the soil is entirely soaked but ensure that the plant has good drainage and is not left sitting in water. This plant also enjoys high humidity, so misting the fronds a few times a week can be beneficial.
Once the canary island date palm is well-established, you will need to water very rarely – this plant is drought tolerant and too much moisture can inhibit its growth.
Soil
The optimum soil for your canary island date palm is a well-draining sandy loam soil with a pH value of 8 – 11 (so very much alkali). This soil should result in good growth and higher fruit yield. The canary island date palm tolerates dry soils well, so it mustn’t become water-logged. It is also essential to use a soil that is not high in calcium carbonate – this can be detrimental to the plant’s growth.
Fertilizing
One of the best fertilizers for the canary island date palm is manure, which should be used in early spring. Another popular option is to use a high-potassium fertilizer designed for palm trees. This can reduce the risk of yellowing fronds and necrosis at the tips. Stop feeding your canary island date palm before the cold temperatures of winter, as any new growth that appears in the winter is likely to be damaged by frost.
If growing your canary island date palm in a pot, it will benefit from being fertilized during the warmer months with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. One feed in the spring and then another in the summer should be sufficient.
Planting Instructions
The best time to plant the canary island date palm is in the spring or fall. Choose a location with full sun and well-draining soil. Support the crown of the plant to prevent leaves from snapping off. Dig a hole that is twice as deep and wide as the root ball and place the plant in, before filling the hole with just enough loose soil to cover the roots. Then, gently tamp down the soil around the roots until it is slightly more compacted before watering generously.
The canary island date palm can also be grown as an indoor or outdoor potted plant. However, when grown in a pot, the canary island date palm will grow much slower and will never reach the size of mature, grounded plants. If planting in a pot, place 5 cm of gravel at the bottom before adding soil. There should only be about 2.5 cm of space between the top of the root ball and the rim of your pot. Fill the space around the root ball with soil before watering well.
Pruning
Be careful when pruning your canary island date palm, as pruning too severely will likely result in an increased chance of pests and diseases. Severe pruning can also slow growth and could even cause the death of your plant.
Cut off dead or decaying fronds from the trunk of your canary island date palm using a pair of pruners, or even a pruning saw, cutting back to around 2.5 cm from the trunk. This should be done no more than once a year, preferably in late spring. Fronds that have been removed must be discarded, as decaying fronds left at the base of the plant could spread diseases to the plant. You may also choose to remove the frond tips if they are turning black or yellow to improve the plant’s appearance.
Propagation
Offshoot propagation is the most effective propagation method for the canary island date palm. Select an offshoot that is disease and pest free for the best chances of success and only remove an offshoot that is at least three years old. The best time to remove the offshoot is between late spring and early summer. Remove the offshoot from the parent using a root saw and plant in a pot with a mix of sand and topsoil. The offshoot should never be planted directly in the ground and should be kept under protection for a minimum of two years.
When the time comes to plant in the ground, use a mixture of topsoil and manure. Transplant in late spring and take extra care in the first six weeks to ensure that the soil does not dry out.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Use in landscaping
Canary island date palm is a popular tropical tree used to decorate yards, prized for its rounded shaped and green drooping fronds. It is used as a decorative tree and is an essential plant in tropical gardens. Plant it with birds of paradise, crotons, orchids, caladiums, bromeliads, hibiscus, and canna for color.
The Canary Island date appears in many notable examples of landscaping, particularly in the American state of California. The Canary Island date palm, according to legend, was first planted in what is now San Diego in 1769 by Spanish missionary Junípero Serra, a founder of the California mission system. Though this story is likely false, Spanish missionaries did cultivate true date palms, rather than Canary Island date palms, in California in the late 1700s for the fruit. However, a Canary Island date palm was famously known as “The Serra Palm”—the palm supposedly planted by Junipero Serra in San Diego—before the tree’s death in 1957.
Other famous plantings of the Canary Island date palm in California include the campus of Stanford University, which contains 600 Canary Island date palms in its Mediterranean-inspired campus. Stanford’s entrance, Palm Drive, is one example of extensive use of the Canary Island date palm in landscaping, including 166 of the species along the stretch leading to the campus. Oracle Park in San Francisco—the stadium of the Major League Baseball team, the San Francisco Giants, is another notable example of the Canary Island date palm in California landscaping, containing a host of the species at the stadium’s entrance and beyond left field.
- Other uses
In the Canary Islands, the sap of this date palm is used to make palm syrup. La Gomera is the only island where the syrup is produced in the Canary Islands.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
To produce fruit, a male and female plant must be grown together. Instead of depending on the wind, it is advisable to hand-pollinate because fruiting can be difficult. A female tree will produce fruit after around eight years if grown from seed, and should produce about 20 pounds of dates as a first yield. The fruit can be harvested in the fall and early winter by pulling the ripe fruits from the stalks. You can tell if they are ready to be collected because the fruit will be dark purple with shiny, wrinkled skin. The fruit will ripen at different speeds, so you may have to harvest across a few days – be patient and only harvest the ripe fruit.
Find Where to Buy the Best Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis)
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