Cretan Date Palm, Phoenix theophrasti

Photo of Cretan Date Palm, Phoenix theophrasti, in Vai forest, in Lasithi district Greece. This is the biggest world population of this palm tree. This is a palm native to the eastern Mediterranean, with its biggest distribution in the island of Crete, and smaller populations in Turkish coasts and a few Greek islands. It is a multi branched, palm, has prickly lower leaflets and its dates are not edible.