‘Fruit of kings’: heatwave is a blessing for Arizona’s desert-loving date palms

The US south-west's Medjool dates are descended from 11 plants brought from Morocco 100 years ago

The air feels like an oven this time of year in the Bard valley. The temperature has reached over 110F every day for weeks now - some days coming close to 120F - forcing most residents of the agricultural valley, nestled at the intersection of the Arizona, California and Mexican borders, inside. But the date palms at Sun Garden Farms love it.

As a heatwave rolls across the south-west, leaving cities like Phoenix and Death Valley national park experiencing record-setting temperatures, crops are wilting in the extreme heat - leaving many farmers worried their yields will fall come harvest. But here, the heat, however extreme it feels, is welcomed. Dates are built for desert climates and the temperature will help the fruits ripen as their sugars develop.