Date palm seedlings were inoculated at the two-leaf stage with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis, the causal agent of Bayoud. Following spore germination, hyphae bore a bole through the walls of the root epidermis and penetrated into the cortical parenchyma. The fungus then grows inter- or intra-cellularly towards the central cylinder and enters the xylem vessels. There, it continues to grow towards the leaves. The progression from vessel to vessel is achieved through bordered pits. The cultivar Deglet-Nour, known for its susceptibility to this wilt disease, exhibited no early reaction to the presence of the parasite in its tissues. Key words: date palm, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis, scanning electron microscopy.