Dates grow on trees. Great big trees called “date palms,” actually. They’re native to the Middle East and have been a part of the region’s cuisine for thousands of years(!!!). Dates grow in large clusters, kind of like bunches of grapes, which hang higher than fifty feet off the ground.

Are dates edible off the tree?

Not all dates from date palms are edible. Many people assume that because we do not regularly eat dates from all of the 14 date palm species, they must not be edible. This, however, is false. … The “true” date palm dates can be dried and eaten raw.

What tree do Medjool dates grow on?

Phoenix dactylifera, commonly known as date or date palm, is a flowering plant species in the palm family, Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit called dates.