Judean date palm 2005, before knowing the gender of the palm tree, Dr. Solowey was hoping that it would turn out to be female, for which there was a 50% chance, because that would have allowed it to give fruit; on the contrary, "if it's a male, it will just be a curiosity." Methuselah flowered in March 2011 and is male. As of 2012, there were tentative plans to crossbreed the palm with what was considered its closest extant relative, the Hayani date from Egypt, to generate fruit by 2022. By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate
Charles E. Palm Charles E. Palm Charles Edmund Palm (1911-Feb. 25, 1996) was an entomologist and Dean of the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University for 13 years from 1959 to 1972. Palm was born in Austin, Texas, and grew up on a fruit and vegetable farm in northwest Arkansas. He graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas and then earned a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1935. Palm was an expert in international agricultural development and was a consultant to the Ford Foundation on Mexico's agricultural program. After research showed the harmful ecological effects of chemical pesticides, Palm