Q: I’m doing some research for a Sunday sermon which has a short discussion of date palms in it. Can a date palm re-root after being blown over?

A: Yes, like most palms, date palm can be propped up for a couple of years and it will re-establish a strong root system. Unlike hardwood trees, palms do not have large roots which divide and subdivide as they grow away from the base of the tree. Instead, massive numbers of roots grow from the base of the trunk, called the root-initiation zone. Visitors to Florida often notice the timbers used to support newly planted palms. The timbers stay in place for a year and are then removed. More details about planting palms and problems with date palms at

Transplanting Palms in the Landscape

Growing Date Palms Successfully

date palm

coconut palm