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Blue Latan Palm and Red Latan Palm

Latania loddigesii Mart. and Latania lontaroides (Gaertn.) H. E. Moore

lay-TAN-ee-ah  lod-ah-JESS-ee-eye, and lawn-tare-OID-ees

Arecaceae

Explanation of names: Generic name from a local name for palms of this genus. Conrad Loddiges was a British nurseryman, and lontaroides presumably reflects resemblance to the genus Lontarus (JON).

Natural ranges: Both species from Mauritius (Mascarene Islands). Seashore cliffs and canyons, savannas, open forest (PAL, MEE, RI2 for L. loddigesii). Cliff and coastal ravines (PAL for L. lontaroiodes)

Recognition features (data partly from JON, MEE): Both are large single-trunked, large-costapalmate-leaved palms with separate male and female individuals. Latania loddigesii has blue-glaucous coloration reminiscent of Bismarck Palm but differs by having the hastula symmetrical (vs. lopsided and uneven).. Bismarck Palm hs also a fairly straight trunk (as opposed to flaring at the base), and young leaves with entire (vs. serrulate) margins. The seed of the Blue Latan has a wavy pattern at one end, which helps in identification (MEE) as do its wavy leaf scars.

            Red Latan, Latania lontaroides, when young has red petioles and reddish coloration in the leaves, especially in the veins of young leaves which mature glaucous-blue. Its hastula has a distinctive prominent point (as opposed to the flat hastula in B. loddigesii). The leaf scars are broad and not wavy.

Landscape uses: These slow-growing specimen palms make a strong statement as focal points, and, given their extreme coloration, should be combined with other landscape elements carefully. There is some risk of lethal yellowing (MEE). Reports on drought tolerance are mixed. Given the natural habitat of the two species, they might be expected to be drought tolerant post-establishment. According to ELL, both species germinate in 6-10 weeks.