The ancient Mesopotamian dispute fable between the palm and the tamarisk trees, written 2000 BC (more here on the importance of gardens in ancient Mesopotamia): The date palm stood for roughly half of southern Mesopotamia's food intake during the Neo-Babylonian empire (grain the other half, more or less), with ill effects for dental health. Dates were a staple food, and destroying your enemies' orchards was a common and heinous way to damage their agricultural economy (Greeks did the same with olive trees, which were sacred to them):