Which species of Phoenix is it?

Phoenix canariensis, in my own experience, is easier than the "True Date" from seed. (True Date also suffers in summers that are hot and HUMID as they are a desert species.) I have four foot Canary Palms that I started from pits. But these are too prickly to come into the house (you could suffer eye loss if not careful), so they go into my sunny garage which gets cold but not freezing to overwinter.

If you can purchase the Pygmy Date (Phoenix roebellini) they make a better species as a "houseplant"..., they too get big eventually, but are not nearly as dangerous. Mine flowered a few years ago...., it's a boy. As you probably know, all Date palms are either male or female.

P.dactylifera. From shop bought dates.. I'd like a P.roebellini though

Canariensis is just too MASSIVE of a palm for indoor usage..., aside from the thorns. As outdoor palms (I love 'em), but mine never come into the house. After 8 months outside, they go into a sunny garage that only gets light frosts in the coldest weather.

There is a good reason why the "Dwarf" species P. roebellini is the more commonly available "houseplant"!

Palmsandsnow I read on Palmtalk recently about a member who removes the thorns

Thanks for the info! The way I'm doing it, they are not really houseplants (as they will spend summer on the deck), but they are in containers and won't get very big.

Spending the summers on the deck is terrific. But they will get big, eventually. Not sure how you would dwarf them. I have mine in large, plastic garbage cans. If you try to restrict growth, you are gonna really have to watch the watering..., when their container is not big enough, they will quickly go into a wilt if you neglect a watering or two.

Thanks! I will try to keep that in mind. The reason I would cut off the spines is because decks in general carry a lot of traffic, and this way I could (hopefully!) minimize injury. They are also seedlings now, so it will be awhile before they get really big.

(Sorry for kinda hijacking your thread, GreenLarry!)

growingontheedge.net Has a topic about full grown Date palm in Jersey, England. Are you near there?

Stanofh that is over 300 miles south of me