Scientists amazed as date palm flowers early

A rare male, date-palm tree is surprising scientists because it is flowering at 13 months of age.

Scientists at UAE University's Date Palm Research and Development Programme said the mass propagation of the plant was a big challenge. In fact, several international laboratories had failed in their attempts.

The palm, named Al Ain City Male, was planted on an experimental basis at the palace of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

"It's amazing to see flowers at such an early age," Dr Abdelouahhab Zaid, the UN chief technical adviser to the UAE Date Palm Research and Development Programme, told Gulf News here yesterday.

The programme is a joint venture project of UAE University and the United Nations Development Programme.

Male date-palm trees produce flowers and pollen grains usually at about 3 years of age. Al Ain City Male is quite young and still less than two metres tall.

The tree also has a strong smell, which is considered a good characteristic. The research programme has recently sent a team of scientists, including Dr Helal Humaid Al Kaabi, director of the project, to analyse the tree.