I was given the date palm to grow indoors, and only planted it outside when it grew too big for its pot. To my surprise it grew even better outside than indoors, so I planted two others, as dates need male and female. I did plan on planting five, but by then the first date was getting so enormous that five of them would have meant we had a mini date farm, not a garden, with no room for roses, grevilleas, native limes, herbs and hellebores and other plants I love having nearby.