Dates
Date palms require arid or semi-arid conditions, limiting widespread cultivation on Hawaiʻi Island. A few dedicated farmers experiment with date production in drier leeward areas.
Hawaiʻi Island’s humidity generally challenges date palm pollination and fruit ripening, as they originally derive from desert climates. Those who succeed often do so in exceptionally dry pockets along the Kona or Kaʻū coasts. Harvesting mature, high-quality dates can still prove difficult due to rains that spur fungal growth on fruit. Consequently, commercial scale remains minimal, with farm-gate sales catering to connoisseurs. While demand for fresh, local dates is high among curious shoppers, feasible expansion depends on site-specific success and improved disease management.