Arboretum History Virtual Tour - TRUE DATE PALM

Phoenix dactylifera        |        Arecaceae       |       true date palm

Historical Context:

The multi-trunked date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) on the east face of Old Main is a UA Heritage tree. It honors Dr. Phillip Eckert, Dean of the UA College of Agriculture, who collaborated with the US Department of State and the US Department of Agriculture to develop the Agricultural College of Iraq at Abu Ghraib, near Baghdad. This was one of the first such collaborations between a US university and a foreign government. To honor and thank Dr. Eckert, Iraqi students planted this date palm from Iraq on campus.

Next Stop ⇒ Aleppo Pine

Previous Stop ⇒ Floss Silk Tree

Return to Arboretum History Tour Page

Additional Resources to Explore:

• Link to the Campus Arboretum Species Description page
• Link to the Campus Arboretum History Tour page (for booklet, self-guided campus tours, or docent led tour information)