PlantFiles: Date Palm
Phoenix dactylifera 'Black Sphinx'

This date was a chance discovery made in the late '20s in Phoenix, AZ. It was believed to be the result of a genetically unique seed that fell from an established Havani date tree. It has a unique dark black fruit that gives it it's name that is said to be less fibrous and thinner skinned. The problem is that it has a short shelf life so it was not viable for commercial production. It became extremely popular in the Phoenix area and was widely grown until the population boom put an end to the date industry in Arizona. The remainder of one of these Black Sphinx groves can be seen in the Arcadia neighborhood in Phoenix. It's numbers in the Phoenix area have gone from a peak of 6,000 trees at it's peak in the 1950s to just over 100 today, according to some sources.