Native to the eastern Mediterranean, the Cretan date palm is one of only two palm species endemic to Europe (4). This palm has a stem measuring up to 35 centimetres across (2), and a dense crown of long, spiky leaves, which become a striking silvery blue-green colour once mature (3) (5). These pinnate leaves can reach an impressive two to four metres in length (6), and have numerous forward-pointing leaflets 15 to 20 centimetres long on either side of the central stem (7) (8). The leaf stalks are heavily armed with long, yellow spines that are modified leaflets (2) (6), and when in bloom a mass of pale cream-coloured flowers emerge from among the leaf bases (6).
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