Just call around. They have always been expensive, because they grow very slowly. That 3-foot palm tree was probably 10 years old. My parents bought a couple of 4-foot ones (from dirt to base of crown) and 20 years later they were only 15 feet high.

If you know anyone with a female palm of the kind you want, ask them to save the "pups" for you. You can dig them out of the dirt at the base of the tree and pot them up.

Actually, the slow growth is good in a way since it is easier to pick the fruit. While I knew that they were slow growing, I didn't realize that they were that slow.
In my neighborhood, I have found only male clumps so far but I'll keep looking and also calling around.
Thanks for the info.

The reason you only find males is that the females are a horrible MESS. My parents had them. You have to trim out the date clusters every year, or deal with sticky, wasp-attracting fruit drop for months.

If you plan on walking out and picking a few dates, forget it. You have to pollinate the flowers, thin the fruit strands, bag the developing fruit to protect it while it ripens, then pasteurize it after it ripens or the larva of a common date pest will devour them.

My dad rented his trees to a man who had a great business - in return for the dates, he would take care of the female trees and leave you 5 or 10 pounds of finished dates. He sold the rest of them to local bakeries and restaurants.

The last year we had the trees, he got 600 pounds of dates from the two trees.

The year after that, he fell off a ladder and retired from the date business. We had a tree mover come and take the trees, which are now on some golf course or resort.

And...they will do their best to stab your eyes out when you try and take off the old fronds. Sorry I can't really help, but I would just get a faster-growing palm and buy dates from the store.

Maybe I should just stick with my newly planted Li Jujube. While they aren't real dates, the dried fruits taste date-like and the green fruits are apple-like. The trees are drought tolerant, heat tolerant and frost is no problem.
If I was getting a palm just for looks, it would be some of the smaller ones, right now, I am trying to plant trees that bear fruit.
I know there are a couple besides the date palm that do set edible fruit like the Jelly palm, although I have heard that the fruit is kind of bland, the seeds are supposed to taste like coconut. Anyone here with Jelly Palm?

Quite right about the work it takes to get fruit. Start with de-thorning, then you need pollen to pollinate the flowers as they open (also thin them at this time), If Medjool a second thinning of every strand. Next tie each bunch to a frond to support the weight, then put a paper wrap around each bunch to protect from rain and birds. Then, if it doesn't rain to much, you finally get to harvest. Yes, it's a lot of fuss and work.
Best way to get one cheep is to plant offshoots, which sprout out from the base of a parent palm. That way you know what variety you are getting. Offshoots can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 depending on the variety. These offshoots will typically start producing fruit about the 4th year. They will not grow much trunk for the first 6 years or so, then they will grow 6 to 18 inches per year depending on the variety.
If you do want a home date palm, I would recomend visiting a date shop and sampling varieties and pick out one you like more than Medjools. Medjools are everywhere and common, find something less common that you like, then ask the shop if they can help you locate an offshoot of that variety. It may take a little asking around, but there are some wonderful varieties out there and there is a lot of difference in taste and texture. Also, if you do know a certain variety that you like, you can ask again here for that variety and I may know someone who has it. I know a lot of the other growers and collectors in CA and AZ and we can probably help you find the one you want.
Arthur the date guy

Thanks Arthur. I never realized that you had to do so much to get good dates.
There are a few male date palms on my block so I just thought that they would be able to pollinate my females. However, now that you mention all of the different kinds of dates, I have no idea as to what types I like the best and what kind of male trees my neighbors have.
I plan on going to the rare fruit plant sale this coming Saturday and they list that they have female date palms for sale so I thought I would check them out.
Although, after what some of the people have written about them, I'm not sure that I want one any more :)