Palm
Medjool Date Palm
Phoenix dactylifera 'Medjool' · Arecaceae
Also called: Medjool Date, Majool / Mejhool Date Palm, True Date Palm 'Medjool'
Medjool Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera 'Medjool') is a moderate-water palm well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, with a moderate growth rate.
Medjool Date Palm at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; thrives in extreme desert heat.
- Mature size
- 40-60+ ft tall, 20-25 ft frond spread; plant 25-30 ft apart for fruit.
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Creamy white / yellowish (in spathes), Spring flowering (dioecious); fruit harvest late summer to fall (Aug-Oct). Female trees need a male pollinizer or hand pollination to set dates.
- Cold hardiness
- Excellent low-desert palm; hardy to about 15-20 F with minor frond damage. Fully suited to Tucson USDA 9a-9b; long hot summers are needed to ripen fruit.
- Soil
- Tolerates poor, sandy, alkaline, even somewhat saline desert soils; needs good drainage.
- Native range
- Species native to North Africa / the Middle East (Morocco origin for 'Medjool'). Not native to Arizona.
- Best used as
- Premium edible dates (large, soft, sweet), Dramatic specimen / focal palm, Desert and oasis-style landscaping
- Wildlife
- Fruit attracts birds and other wildlife; flowers minimally relevant.
- Toxicity
- Fruit is edible and non-toxic. No significant toxicity to pets; main hazard is the very sharp spines at the frond bases (physical injury).
How to grow Medjool Date Palm in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought-tolerant once established but needs regular deep irrigation for good date production: deep soak every 7-14 days in summer reaching the root zone, less in winter. The classic adage: 'feet in water, head in fire' (deep moisture, hot dry air).
Fertilizer & nutrients
Apply a palm-specific fertilizer 2-3 times during the warm season; palms in alkaline desert soil commonly show manganese, magnesium, and potassium deficiencies, so use a balanced palm food with micronutrients to prevent frizzletop and yellowing.
Pruning & care
Remove only dead/dying lower fronds (do not over-prune into a 'hurricane cut'). For fruit, growers also pollinate by hand, thin fruit strands, and remove offshoots (pups) at the base. Use eye protection around the sharp basal spines.
Notes
'Medjool' is the premium large soft date and grows well in Tucson, though commercial date production centers slightly lower/warmer (Yuma/Phoenix). It is dioecious: a female 'Medjool' needs a male palm or purchased pollen and hand pollination to fruit. Best planted from offshoots (pups) of a known cultivar, since seed-grown palms are variable and may be male. True date palm, NOT the toxic-pitted ornamental Canary Island date palm (P. canariensis).
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension (date palm culture); AMWUA / Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; Pima County Master Gardeners