| Zahidi | |
| Genus: | Phoenix |
| Species: | Phoenix dactylifera |
| Cultivar: | Zahidi |
| Origin: | Iraq |
Zahidi (Arabic: زهدي) is a cultivar of the palm date that originated in Iraq. It has light brown skin. It is a semi-dry date of medium size that is very sweet. Zahidi dates ship well and are widely exported.
It is the most widely grown date cultivar in Iraq, with about 6 million planted trees as of 2015. In Iraq, the average annual yield is 73 kg per tree, although yields can often exceed 100 kg.[1] Other than Iraq, it is also grown in Djibouti, Chile, Peru, India, Iran, Israel, Palestine, and Syria.[2]
Zahidi date palms are also highly valued for landscaping.[1]
Zahidi is the Arabic word for "ascetic." The name of the date cultivar may have also been derived from Zahidi in the Basra region of southern Iraq.[2]