Home > Facts > Plants Facts > Senegal date palm Facts

Senegal date palm Facts

Senegal date palm Facts
Senegal date palm is an evergreen plant that belongs to the palm family. It is native to the tropical parts of Africa, Madagascar and Comoro Islands. Senegal date palm can be found in the clearings in the rainforests, monsoonal forests, on the rocky slopes of the mountains and banks of the rivers (from the sea level to the altitude of 9850 feet). It grows on the clay, sandy and loamy, well-drained soils, exposed to full sun or in the partial shade. Senegal date palm is often cultivated in ornamental purposes (it is frequently used for landscaping and decoration of parks) and used as a source of food.
Interesting Senegal date palm Facts:
Senegal date palm has several, brown-colored, slender, unusually-curved trunks that can reach 35 feet in height.
Senegal date palm has wide crown that consists of 20 to 40 stiff, feathery leaves that can reach 8 to 15 feet in length. Color of the leaves depends on the age. Young leaves are bright green colored, while older leaves are deep green in color. Crown spreads 12 to 20 feet in width and creates substantial shade.
Senegal date palm has spines at the base of leaves.
Senegal date palm produces showy flowers on the long stalks. Male and female flowers develop on the separate plants (dioecious species). Male flowers are pale yellow, while female flowers are small, globular and yellow-green colored.
Senegal date palm blooms during the spring and summer. Male flowers produce large quantities of pollen that is transferred to the female flowers either by wind or insects. Unfertilized female flowers fall to the ground.
Fruit of Senegal date palm is round, fleshy, single-seeded, orange date. Senegal date palm produces large quantities of fruit arranged in large, pendant clusters.
Senegal date palm propagates via seeds and division of suckers.
Fruit of Senegal date palm has thick pulp that is rich in sugar, which is why animals such as monkeys, baboons, bushpig, nyala and birds like to eat it.
Humans also like to eat dates. Besides fruit, people also use heart of the crown of Senegal date palm as a source of food (it is consumed as vegetable).
Tree sap extracted from the Senegal date palm before the flowering season is used for the manufacture of palm wine.
Latex obtained from the root of Senegal date palm can be used as edible gum.
Fibers isolated from the unopened leaves of Senegal date palm are used for the manufacture of brooms, carpets, baskets, hats and kilts.
Root of Senegal date palm is rich source of tannins and it is used as a source of brown pigment.
Besides in ornamental purposes, Senegal date palm can be cultivated to create privacy screen.
Senegal date palm is perennial plant (life span: more than 2 years).


Related Links:
Facts
Plants Facts
Animals Facts