''Phoenix canariensis'', the Canary Island date palm or pineapple palm, is a species of flowering plant in the palm family

Arecaceae The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees ...

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

off the coast of Morocco. It is a relative of '' Phoenix dactylifera'', the true date palm. It is the natural symbol of the Canary Islands, together with the

canary Canary originally referred to the island of Gran Canaria on the west coast of Africa, and the group of surrounding islands (the Canary Islands). It may also refer to: Animals Birds * Canaries, birds in the genera ''Serinus'' and ''Crithagra'' i ...

'' Serinus canaria''. Mature ''P. canariensis'' are often used in ornamental landscaping and are collected and transplanted to their new planting location. A Canary Island date palm with of trunk is approximately 60 years of age.

Description

''Phoenix canariensis'' is a large solitary palm, tall, occasionally growing to . The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

, 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, long, with 80–100 leaflets on each side of the central rachis. The fruit is an oval, yellow to orange

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

long and in diameter and containing a single large seed; the fruit pulp is edible but not the best of

dates Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner **Group dating *Play date, an ...

Names

Common names in English include Canary Island date palm and pineapple palm. The common name in Spanish-speaking countries and in the Canary Islands is palmera canaria.

Cultivation

The Canary Island date palm is typically cultivated in wet-winter or Mediterranean climates, but also in wet-summer or humid subtropical climates like eastern Australia and the southeastern United States. There are even several instances 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 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. It is not uncommon to see Canary Island date palms pruned and trimmed to enhance the appearance. When pruned, the bottom of the crown, also called the nut, appears to have a pineapple shape. The Canary Island date palm is susceptible to

Fusarium wilt Fusarium wilt is a common vascular wilt fungal disease, exhibiting symptoms similar to Verticillium wilt. This disease has been investigated extensively since the early years of this century. The pathogen that causes Fusarium wilt is ''Fusarium o ...

, a fungal disease commonly transmitted through contaminated seed, soil, and pruning tools. Spread of the disease can be reduced when pruning tools are disinfected before use on this palm. The South American palm weevil causes them to droop, turn brown and di

It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

Other uses

In the Canary Islands, the sap of this date palm is used to make

palm syrup Miel de palma (lit. palm honey, also palm syrup) is an edible sweet syrup produced from the sap of a number of palms. It is produced in the Canary Islands and coastal regions of South America. Species In the Canary Islands, palm syrup (''miel de ...

. La Gomera is the only island where the syrup is produced in the Canary Islands.

Invasiveness

In some areas, ''Phoenix canariensis'' has proven to be an invasive plant. In Bermuda and the United States ( Florida and California) it is considered naturalised (lives wild in a region where it is not indigenous). It has also spread in some areas of peninsular Spain, Portugal, Italy,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and New Zealand. It is listed as invasive (naturalized) in coastal southern California. In Auckland, New Zealand, the palm has itself become a host for the naturalised Australian strangler fig, '' Ficus macrophylla''.

Gallery

File:Phoenix canariensis - Canary Island Date Palms at South Coast Wholesale Nursery.jpg, ''Phoenix canariensis'' (Canary Island date palm) collection at South Coast Wholesale Nursery San Diego, California File:CIDPpalmMelborneFL.jpg, Mature Canary island date in Melbourne, Florida File:CIDPfruitJPG.JPG, ''P. canariensis'' fruit in Northern Florida. File:OldCanaryPalmPHX.jpg, Tall, Old Canary Island Palm in Phoenix Arizona. File:Gelbsteißbülbül - Pycnonotus xanthopygos 03.jpg, Close-up of fruit File:CIDPBuxtonNC.jpg, Canary Island Date palm growing in Hatteras North Carolina, about their northern limit unprotected on the east coast. File:Phoenix canariensis B.jpg, Close-up of flowers File:Phoenix canariensis cortex.jpg, Bark.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q27657 canariensis Endemic flora of the Canary Islands Garden plants of Europe Ornamental trees Drought-tolerant trees Plants described in 1882