Palm sugar sap ('toddy') from the flowers. The date palm has two species, "Phoenix dactylifera" and "P. sylvestris", and both are sources of palm sugar. "P. dactylifera" is common in the Mediterranean and Middle East. "P. sylvestris" is native to Asia, mainly Pakistan and India. Date palms are cultivated mainly for dates. Palm sugar is made from the tree's sap. The nipa palm ("Nypa fruticans") is native to the coastlines and tropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only palm tree that grows in a watery mangrove biome. Only its leaves and flowers grow above water. Palm sugar
Fruit tree forms whilst keeping the tree short and accessible for harvesting. Other shapes such as cordons, espaliers and fans offer opportunities for growing trees two dimensionally against walls or fences, or they can be trained to function as barriers. Some of the following fruit tree forms require training by tying the branches to the required form. Most require pruning to retain the desired structure. However, not all types of fruit tree are suitable for all forms; apples and pears do well as cordons and espaliers, for example, whereas cherries are more suited to the fan form. An open-centred crown on a short