Senegal date palm is native to tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, and the Comoro Islands. A palm usually growing in dense clumps beside swamps and rivers. It grows in humid lowland woodlands, highland forests and on open rocky hillsides, 1,100-2,200 m. It usually grows in alluvial soils in positions such as near the banks of streams where there is permanent access to ground water, even if deep down. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30 c, but can tolerate 15 - 35 c. In Kampala, Senegal date palm can be found within Nyonyi gardens, along Impala avenue road, Buganda road among other places.

Phoenix reclinata is a dioecious clumping palm, producing multiple stems from 7.5 to 15 m in height and 30 cm in width, slender and often bent over ("reclinata"), covered in very rough leaf scars. The stem is topped by a rosette of 15 - 30 spiny leaves that can each be up to 2.7 meters long.

BARK: smooth, black, slightly marked by concentric rings of leaf scars.

LEAVES: pinnate, feather shaped, 3-4 m long, growing out from a fibrousleaf sheath, the crown of about 25 leaves arching over, leafletsnarrow, folded, bright shiny green, to 30 cm, stiff and pointed.

FLOWERS: Male and female on different trees, white flowers.

FRUIT: Yellow- brown, oblong,about 2 cm, edible.The fruit are borne in large, pendant clusters and contain one seed each.   

The fibers of young, unexpanded leaves in immature palms are used to make mats, rope, baskets and string and thefibers from the crushed stem are also used for the manufacture of scrubbing brushes, brooms.

The midribs of mature leaves are used to make baskets and for roofing material.

The stems provide poles that also used for the construction of livestock enclosures, houses, bridges, walls and fencing.

Brooms for sweeping around rural dwellings are made from the dried inflorescences.

The wood provides timber which is used for hut building, making doors, windows and fence posts.

A useful dye is obtained from the leaves.

Tannin is obtained from the roots.

A gum is obtained from the roots.

Special skirts made from the leaves are worn by Xhosa boys when undergoing their initiation rites.

The stems are used to make charcoal.

Medicine: parts of the tree are used as a remedy for pleurisy, spines. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=Phoenix+reclinata

Edible: the roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute, Palm wine is made from the sap, children enjoy the gum produced by the roots,and the fruit can be used to make a wine, the palm heart can be eaten as a vegetable. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=Phoenix+reclinata

Agroforestry: can be planted to prevent soil erosion, provides fodder.