Close-up view of the three germination pores on the endocarp of a coconut. Although only one pore is functional, each pore represents one of the three carpels of this monocotyledonous plant. An ordinary paper clip can easily penetrate the functional germination pore. This allows the developing shoot to grow out of the hard, woody endocarp. The other two pores are impenetrable woody depressions. "Blind" coconuts apparently do not have germination pores. They are rarely produced and are the alleged source of coconut pearls.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is native to desert regions of Northern Africa, where moisture is available from springs or underground water. This is truly a palm of desert oases. It has been cultivated for thousands of years and its fruit was an important food in biblical times, providing desert travelers with a nutritious meal. Like the fig (Ficus carica), dates could be dried and carried on long journeys across vast areas of parched land. The date palm is a dioecious species, with male and female flowers produced on separate trees. Dates are naturally wind pollinated, but humans have assisted in this pollen transfer since great antiquity. As early as 2300 B.C., people had learned to hang a male inflorescence in a female tree to enhance pollination. Modern machines now blow pollen on female flowers when the stigmas are receptive, although many traditional date growers still use hand pollination.

In the arid Coachella Valley of southern California, many varieties of dates are grown in orchards that were established in the early 1900s. Although date palms are naturally pollinated by the wind, this is not an effective method for maximum fruit yield in cultivated orchards, especially since the groves are composed of predominately female trees. In Coachella Valley, the dates are hand pollinated with pollen collected from the inflorescences of male trees. One male tree produces enough pollen for a harem of about 50 female trees. In spring, small cotton powder puffs containing pollen are applied to the moist, receptive stigmas of female inflorescences. Some growers use rubber atomizer bulbs to apply pollen, and in some orchards, sprigs of pollen-laden male inflorescences are tied to the female inflorescences. As the bunches of dates begin to ripen, excess clusters are pruned away to allow for the optimal productivity of each tree (50 to 300 pounds of dates, depending on the tree).

Pollinated dates are harvested throughout the fall months, from September to December. Because all dates on a tree may not mature at the same time, they are hand-picked several times during the fall from bunches on the trees. This ensures that the dates are picked at their peak level of sugar content and flavor. [In some parts of the world growers cut entire bunches (like bananas) and allow them to ripen in warm rooms away from the trees, although hand-picked dates are considered the ne plus ultra of dates.] Since pollination and picking requires many repeat visits by workers to the crowns of the palms, large trees have permanent ladders attached the main trunks. During the fall months, paper covers protect the bunches of dates from possible rain damage. [Early fall and winter rains bring out a profusion of desert wildflowers, but cause devastating mold damage to the date crops. There are other textbook explanations for these conspicuous paper covers, but they are mainly used to prevent water damage to the vulnerable dates during the critical fall months when the dates ripen.] Because of genetic recombination and the unpredictability of seeds, choice date palms are propagated (cloned) by offshoots (sucker sprouts) at the base of the trunks.

Date cultivars are classified as soft, semi-soft and dry or bread dates. Chewy bread dates keep longer and can be used for "survival food" on long trips. In Coachella Valley, the most popular soft variety is 'Medjool,' originally introduced into the United States in 1927 from eleven offshoots from Bou Denib Oasis in French Morocco. In the semi-dry category, the most popular variety grown in Coachella Valley is 'Deglet Noor,' a delicious variety from the Sahara oases of Algeria. Another semi-dry cultivar called 'Zahidi' originated in northern Iraq.

In coastal San Diego County (southern California), female date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) produce parthenocarpic fruits without pollination. The fruits contain rudimentary, seedless endocarps, but nontheless are edible. The unpollinated fruits of P. dactylifera are smaller and contain less sugar and pulp compared with commercial pollinated dates.

One of the most interesting palms utilized by humans for food and as a valuable herbal remedy is the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). This palm is native to the southeastern United States, from Florida to North Carolina. Unlike most palms, the stem is typically prostrate with erect palmate leaves. It grows in coastal dune areas and inland pine woodlands, often forming dense, impenetrable thickets in the understory of pines, such as slash pine (Pinus elliottii) and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). The common name is derived from the leaf stalks (petioles) which are armed with rows of sharp teeth resembling a saw blade.

The juicy black fruits (drupes) were an important food for native Americans of this region, such as the Seminoles. Early settlers also made a soothing tea from the dried fruits. Therapeutic benefits from saw palmetto tea has been known for decades. It was prescribed for frequency of urination and excessive night urination due to inflammation of the bladder and prostate enlargement. Recent studies indicate that the use of saw palmetto may be more than folklore. The fruit mesocarp is rich in steroidal compounds called sitosterols. According to Herbs That Heal by M.A. Weiner and J.A. Weiner (1994), benign prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH), is caused by testosterone accumulation in the prostate. The testosterone is then converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes cellular proliferation and enlargement of the prostate. Saw palmetto extract (beta sitosterol) from the dried fruits prevents the conversion of testosterone into DHT because it inhibits the action of the enzyme testosterone-5-alpha-reductase by competitive inhibition. This is essentially the same action of the prescription drug finasteride (Proscar). Several double blind studies have been conducted that indicate an improvement in men suffering from enlarged prostates; however, there is considerable disagreement among urologists whether this herbal remedy is really an effective cure for this condition. Until more data is available, saw palmetto may be a useful herb to take as a relatively inexpensive preventive therapy.

One of the most interesting uses for palms involves the chewing of seeds from the betel nut palm (Areca catechu). This palm is native to Malaya, but extensively cultivated throughout India, southeastern China, the East Indies, and the Philippines where the seeds (called betel nuts) are chewed. This curious practice dates back to antiquity and was first described by Herodotus in 340 BC. The usual method of chewing involves betel nuts, betel pepper leaves from Piper betel (Piperaceae) and lime powder (calcium hydroxide). Betel leaves come from the same genus as black pepper (P. nigrum) and kava kava (P. methysticum). Slices of ripe betel nuts are placed in the mouth. Then fresh leaves of the betel pepper are smeared with lime (calcium hydroxide) and chewed with the nuts. Sometimes the the mixture is chewed with cloves, cinnamon, tamarind, cardamom, nutmeg or other spices to enhance the flavor. Betel nut chewing is commonly indulged in after dinner. The mass is worked in the mouth without swallowing; the process stimulates a copious flow of saliva which is continuously expectorated. Although it has been compared with chewing tobacco, betel nuts do not contain the harmful ingredients of tobacco. In fact, betel nut chewing may have some medicinal value, such as counteracting overacidity and producing a mild stimulation and feeling of well being; however, recent articles give a different conclusion. According to Cindy Sui and Anna Lacey BBC Health Check 22 March 2015 (Asia's Deadly Secret: The Scourge Of The Betel Nut), betel nuts, and betel pepper leaves are all carcinogens and contribute to the oral cancer epidemic in those countries where the quid is chewed.