The , meaning date palm of the forest in latin, closely resembles a smaller, less imposing version of the P. canariensis, with a very similar, though more compact leaf, trunk and crown.
The P. sylvestris is a stately tree that reaches a height of 40 feet, with a trunk diameter of about 16 inches. It’s long pinnate leaves form a dense crown and feature hundreds of blueish-green leaflets in an attrative criss-cross pattern. This is the perfect palm if you prefer the look of a P. canariensis, but not the scale.
The arguably has a more desirable manicured trunk than the P. canariensis, more closely approximating the scultped, diamond shaped look of the P. dactylifera.
Like all date palms, the P. sylvestris has separate male and female plants. The females produce an abundance of oblong fruits in the inland summer heat. The inflorescence of the plant is cut and the sap used to make sugar. While the fruit is edible, it is not particularly tasty.
