Canary Island Date Palm

Description:

These palms are considered ornamental palms by most as they are a favorite for cities and parks. They grow to 10-20 meters tall, have a thick trunk and live for 50 years or so. The fruit is oval shaped, yellow/orange and is about 2 cm x 1 cm. They are small enough that although the seed pulp is edible it is practically too thin to be worth the effort. I have pictures of other trees in town with fruit, but am not sure they are the same species. I'll save them for another spotting.

Habitat:

Wiki says, "Mature P. canariensis are often used in ornamental landscaping and are collected and transplanted to their new planting location." They are native to the Canary Islands but have been naturalized into other countries, meaning although they are now commonly found, they are still an invasive species. They are cultivated in other areas.

Notes:

The second link under references is an article addressing the replanting of these trees in 2013 on Naciones Unidas, a main street in Quito. I was on that street a couple days ago and took these shots. You can see how much they've grown in 5-6 years.