It will grow two or three fronds a year when young and then they get faster.Here they will be 3 ft overall in a few years.After you soak them and then let them dry one day the outer seed coat will come off easy.It will just crumble off the seed. Email me if they don't germinate and Ill see if I can help you find more.

John, if you are in Miami, I can tell you some locations where there. are growing a substantial number of plants. Although new seed pods are growing right now they are not ready to be picked for a few months. But i went last month and found some older seed pods from last year. You can tell the older from the New that shouldn't be picked yet. As the older pods are substantially larger. Some of the older pods are beginning to open up and you can see the orange colored seeds inbetween the cracked pods. The new pods are currently being fertilized by the male pods. After fertilization the fruits around the seeds begins to swell up. They probably will not reach pic optimum sides for another month or two The older pods maybe over riped. So they maybe a bit liquidy and gewy. So get some gloves. As you might have read the plant can be poisonous. So you got to take some precaution. They are in a public location, and they are not a reserve or natural locations like the Everglades. They are in town growing in public location. Like a parking lot. I know about four locations. I have learned that Cooties are having quite some problems growing in natural preservation and the Everglades. And like I said I have hundreds of seeds. I have been thinking of taking some of these seeds am broadcasting them at random at some of these natural preserved and habitat restoration projects. They'll take a few years. As you might have read there is a lot of conditions that keeps the seeds from germination and finally sprouting new leaves. As you may know the orange fruits has to be removed as it has anti germination substance. To worsen conditions I read a scholarly document that states that the female plant puts out a chemical that keeps the seeds from germinating near them apparently to avoid growth competition. As the viable seeds fall near the female plants, these seeds do not necessarily move or fall close to any plants that are female unless a big heavy rain falls at the right time and location to have these seeds move away far enough from the female plant or a squirrel or similar animal move the seeds and burying them away. As those who read what am writing an understand the dilemma of why Coonties are having such hard time making a comeback in nature. Humans is the main cause of the Coontie and the Atala demise. I figure it is us humans who must be responsible for helping them return from nature. It appears to have everything against it and that is a reason why the Cooties are having some difficulties making a return in nature. And that's the reason I have been thinking of taking seeds and broadcasting them. I guess that's my way of trying to leave some sort of legacy behind even if other people don't know about it. I'll be the Johnny Apple Seed of South Florida Coonties. Decades from know when the Coontie plants have matured and I maybe gone. I left a contribution of helping the Atala butterfly returning to Miami Dade County. The Atala butterfly used to be comman, and although it may no longer in the extinction list as it was at the beginning of last century. The Atala is not command in many locations of Miami Dade County as they colonies around locations were there are sufficient Coonties plants (minimum of twelve plants). I have numerous plants (am guessing over twenty ) growing in the building complexes I live in Allapattah where I have yet to see any Atalas. Yet there are three locations I know of with in a mile or so from each other and my location being in the middle with just a few less than a year old plants with one or two leaves. I have gotten so good at it. That some people that know are offering me to grow plants for them and they've been paying me for my time. A lot less than what they charge at nurseries for a two year old plant.... I just enjoy doing them Am bend on bringing back butterflies and song colorful birds like Cardinals and Painted Bundles bar to urban areas like downtown and Allapattah, by growing native plants that these birds will eat. I claim that if we grow this plants if we feed them they will come" If anyone wants to help out my email is franco33139ca@Hotmail or Gmail.com there is an organization in Miami call Urban Paradise who are making a he'll of an impact, but they have limited resources and locations where they are restoring habitat. And I figure home owners have to take ultimate responsibility. After all, I can assure you that the building of the home they raise their families at who contributed to the destruction of the Natural Habitat. Many areas of Miami used to be pine tree forest. I have been shocked at the facts that we can drive miles around Miami and not find one pine tree anywhere. Take a look at your own neighborhoods in Florida. You have to drive away from developing suburbia. Even some of the must affluent areas zero pine trees. Allapattah were I live I have yet to find any. Except at my locations where I have two that I began to grow from seeds. And two I gave away to a friend that is a landscape architect in Miami Shores. She began to develop her property with a more native and natural way and shortly after she began she had a City of Miami Shores harassing her about her natural landscape. Many city governments are in love with.manicure nature. And she told me that if we continuo to insist on Manicure Nature, Nature may eventually manicure us... In sense we are saving out own lives.

Yea,its funny they took out the post where donnie got so and so to admit he's from florida,why does that matter?Sometimes when the axe falls it gets a little of the head?I guess.I know if you say nice things about G/W your post will stay but not the other way around.I have checked out some other forums but I have to say this is by far my fav!B.T.W.I am not big fan of sprouting seeds when these dang palms grow so slow!most of them anyway.See you in the funny papers.

I am still in the process of seeing if my date palm will germinate but I dont think it will. One thing I must add is that the dates were in the refrigerator and now that I think about it, that might be the reason why they wont come up. They will take a long time to fruit (probably around 10 to 15 years from seed (maybe a little less in a really nice climate like san diego). And about that 2,000 year old date palm, it came from a seed in a tomb. Even better it isnt just any date palm, but a judean date palm (not 100% positive about spelling) which is now extinct. So its really cool to think about bringing an extinct species back on the planet especially something that has been gone for 2,000 years. They had to treat it with some fancy chemicals and the first leaf was white and a little discolored, but all the leaves now are green and healthy. It is getting close to fruiting age and is around 5 years old so if its a female, it might make some fruit and seeds. Apparently it has lots of medical purpose so who knows what it can cure! If a 2,000 year old extinct date palm seed can germinate so can yours! Heat is important and just waiting. I hear they can take a while to sprout, but if you see green shooting up, it shouldnt be long. They are nice plants and even though its great to buy an expensive date palm thats ready to fruit, its really nice to start one from a simple seed and watch it make fruit of its own. Good luck!