Canary Island date palm

Phoenix canariensis

On La Gomera its sap is tapped and boiled down to miel de palma, palm syrup; the small dates are left for the birds.

Type: canopy tree · native and wild plants
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 50 ft tall, 25 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Canary Islands
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food, wildlife, screens and hedges.

Native to: Atlantic islands (Macaronesia). Hardy in zones 9 to 11.

The story

The Canary Island date palm grows wild in the island ravines and has been planted in mild cities around the world. On La Gomera, skilled tappers still climb the palms to collect the sap, guarapo, and boil it into the dark syrup called miel de palma.

Planting

Full sun in any well-drained soil, with room for a crown ten metres across. It tolerates salt wind and drought once settled. Plant in spring.

Growing

Water deeply in the first summers. Remove only dead, brown fronds; cutting green ones weakens the palm.

Harvest and use

The small orange dates are thin-fleshed and mostly left for birds. Tapping sap for syrup is a specialist craft and can kill a palm if done wrongly.

What to watch for

Red palm weevil is a deadly pest where it occurs: watch for drooping centre fronds and never prune in warm months there.

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More native and wild plants

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home