Canary Island date palm overview
The massive, pineapple-trunk landscape date. Native to the Canary Islands, USDA 9a to 11, heavy crown, and a hard floor near 20°F.
Region of origin
Canary Islands
Native countries
Historical discovery
Hermann Wildpret published Phoenix canariensis in 1882 for the endemic date of the Canary Islands.
Names
Common names
Canary Island date palm, Canary date, Pineapple palm
Synonyms
- None widely used
Cold hardiness
Survives about 20°F / -7°C. Outdoor range USDA 9a–11a. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Switch the U.S. map between states and hardiness zones.
Highlighted USDA zones 9a–11a. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Scientific facts
- This is not the crop date. Fruit is edible but not a grocery date.
- The stout trunk and huge crown need space, a crane, and a budget if you ever move it.
- Fusarium wilt has killed many California specimens. Do not ignore a one-sided collapse.
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Full care guide
The Canary Island date palm is the massive, diamond-cut landscape date, not the orchard date. Native to the Canary Islands. USDA 9a to 11. The crown is huge, the trunk is stout, and a freeze near 20°F (-7°C) burns foliage. Give it a lawn, not a townhouse courtyard.
Common Names:
Canary Island date palm, Canary date, pineapple palm.
Scientific Name:
Phoenix canariensis H.Wildpret.
Origin:
Canary Islands. Planted in warm temperate cities from Los Angeles to the Mediterranean.
Appearance:
A solitary feather palm with a very thick trunk, often diamond-cut from old leaf bases, and a dense, rounded crown of long, deep green fronds. Lower leaflets are spiny. It looks like a date palm that hit the gym.
Growth Rate:
Moderate. Slower than a queen palm, faster than a kentia.
Max Growth Height:
Often 40 to 60 feet, with a crown that can span 25 to 40 feet. The spread is the planning problem.
Foliage Spread:
25 to 40 feet. Keep it off two-story roofs, pools, and neighbor lines.
Cold Hardiness and Hardiness Zone:
USDA 9a to 11. Mature trees take brief readings near 20°F (-7°C) with burn. Zone 8 is not this palm. It is hardier than a coconut and in the same cold conversation as the true date palm.
Soil Type:
Any well-drained soil. It handles clay if water moves. Sand needs extra potassium.
Fruit and Flowering:
Orange-yellow dates in heavy bunches. Edible but not a commercial date. Messy over walks and pools.
Can it Grow Indoors:
No. A seedling is a greenhouse plant. The mature tree is a landscape monument.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Water Requirements:
Regular water in heat, especially the first years. Established trees take short drought, then look tired.
Maintenance Level:
Medium to high. Fronds are heavy. Fruit bunches are heavy. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer. In California, tool hygiene matters because of Fusarium.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Fusarium wilt (especially in California), pink rot, scale, and palm weevils on stressed trees. A sudden collapse on one side of the crown is an emergency, not a fertilizer issue.
Plant Care:
Plant in full sun with room for a 30-foot crown. Water to establish. Do not move dirty pruning saws from a dying Canary date onto a healthy one.
Canary Island date palm Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is the fruit a real date?
It is a Phoenix date, but not the grocery crop. Phoenix dactylifera is the food species.
2. How close to the house can I plant it?
Farther than you think. Plan 20 feet or more from walls and wires. The crown and fruit will fill that space.
3. Why did the neighbor's Canary date collapse?
In California, Fusarium wilt is a common answer. Get a diagnosis. Do not salvage fronds or tools from that tree.
4. Can it grow in zone 8?
No. Use windmill, pindo, or needle palm.
Plant a Canary Island date when you have space, sun, and a zone 9 or warmer winter. It is a landmark tree, not a patio pot.