Scientific Name : Phoenix canariensis Chabaud
Common Name : Canary Island Date Palm, Cannary Date Palm, Pineapple Palm
Chinese Name : 加那利刺葵, 加拿利海棗
Family : ARECACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origin | The palm is native to the Canary Islands, where are an archipelago composed of seven islands near Southwest Morocco. |
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| Meanings of name | The palm is native to the Canary Islands, where are an archipelago composed of seven islands in the Southwest Morocco. |
| Ecology | The palm in the wild is believed to be wind-pollinated with the paucity of effective pollinators such as bees and beetles visiting the male flowers. Moreover, offshoot is absent in P. canariensis, alluding to its necessity of providing offspring through seeds. Its seeds are delightful and mainly dispersed by birds such as Turdus merula (blackbirds). Coccotrypes dactyliperda (date stone beetle) and Dactylotrypes longicollis (bark beetle) are the current discovered possible predators that can suppress seed yield of the palm. |
| Vitality | It shows excellent resilience to drought, wind, high salinity and barren soils. However, it requires hot and sunny environments, and the growth of which is impeded under cold weather and over-irrigation. Moreover, it needs a large growing space. The tallest P. canariensis is pinpointed in the Canary Islands, with a measurement of height at 36 m. |
| Application | Canary Island Date Palm is a notable ornamental palm cultivated worldwide. In Hong Kong, the palms are aligned in rows on the Magic Road of the Hong Kong Disneyland to create a staggering scene. Although the ornamental value of the tree is high, it is an extravagance to public greening spaces. Not only is the tree high-priced that costs for more than HK$ 100, 000, but it is also susceptible to high moisture content and less acclimatise to Hong Kong’s climate. According to the previous reports, some of the palms were feeble due to the pathogenic infection and frequent rainfall in Hong Kong. |
| Growing habit | Tree-like palm. |
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| Height | To 20 m. |
| Stem | Stem erect, leaf scar obvious and large, arranged like diamonds. |
| Leaves | Pinnate, pinnae about 200 pairs, linear, entire, spreading in the same plane, pinnae at base modified into sharp spines, turning from green to yellow when old. |
| Flower | Dioecious. Spikes axillary, multi-branched. Flowers milky yellow. Male inflorescences erect, female inflorescences pendulous. |
| Fruit | Ellipsoid, turning reddish orange when mature, 1-seeded. |
| Flowering period | September in Hong Kong |
| Fruiting period | / |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website: https://herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=6782
Scientific names from other databases:
― Plant of the World Online : Phoenix canariensis H.Wildpret