Two year old date flowering?

[Dimovi]

What is this? Is this date really flowering? It is only two and a half years old. I germinated it in Jan 2018. I thought it takes 6 years or more.

[GottmitAlex]

Seems to be. Remember they (Phoenix) are dioecious. 

 

[gilles06]

I don't see flower?

[Jubaea_James760]

My first thought was a sucker coming up but the white popcorn things threw me off.

[Dimovi]

8 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

Seems to be. Remember they (Phoenix) are dioecious. 

 

Yep I know, that's another question. Is this male or female? They seem white, which would suggest male, but it may be too early to tell.

[Dimovi]

7 hours ago, James760 said:

My first thought was a sucker coming up but the white popcorn things threw me off.

I planted a punch of dates at the same time and only one is flowering and one is suckering so far. I didn't think they would start so early, but dates have incredible variability. 

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, Dimovi said:

Yep I know, that's another question. Is this male or female? They seem white, which would suggest male, but it may be too early to tell.

Answer is pretty simple to figure out.. is the flower(s) Pistillate ( Individual flowers possess only Female reproductive structures ) or Staminate ( Male ( Stamens = pollen producing parts) only ) Flower color plays no part. 

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

That's pretty early. 

[Dimovi]

There it is! It is in fact flowering.

Can anyone tell if it is male or female? May just have to wait more.

 

[Pal Meir]

Looks like female (pistillate) flowers; cf. Genera Palmarum 2008, p. 243:

[Dimovi]

6 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

Looks like female (pistillate) flowers; cf. Genera Palmarum 2008, p. 243:

I think you are right. It looks like a female. Too bad I don't have a male flowering to pollinate it and see if it would set fruit. This has got to be some kind of a record