Latania loddigesii

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: lut-TAHN-ee-uh law-dih-JESS-ee-eye/ low-di-GAI-zee-eye


Common Name: Blue Latan Palm

Latania loddigesii is a commonly grown palm in many areas of the world, either as a public landscape palm or a garden specimen. However, in southern California this is one of those species that 'survives' here, but does not thrive here in just about any microclimate (some minor exceptions). This relative of the Bismarckia Palm, which this one looks quite similar to, is from the Mascarene Islands and Mauritius, where the weather is far more tropical than it is here. So it is not terribly surprising that this highly ornamental, stiff-leaved, large blue fan palm is a very marginal palm here indeed.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary with a 8-20 leaves (here in California generally more like 8)
  • Height: 15' estimated (no or very few mature palms in southern California)
  • Trunk: single; 7" thick; clean and closely ringed; sometimes with a skirt of dead leaves near the crown
  • Crownshaft: none
  • Spread: 10'
  • Leaf Description: moderately costapalmate; very stiff, heavy, waxy leaves with little, if any, leaflet droop; 6' long; blue-green in color (more green when immature, with some reds and/or yellow/orange- very colorful seedlings)
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: 2'-2.5' long; deeply channeled with sharp edges; blue-green, thick and stiff; leaf bases split, but only retained 6"-12" below crown- then fall off
  • Reproduction: dioecious
  • Inflorescence: laterally to dependently oriented; 3'-6' long; male inflorescence more highly branched than female, but both relatively simple
  • Fruit: 3" spherical; green to brownish-yellow when ripe
  • Seed:
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 31F
  • Drought Tolerance: moderate
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
  • Wind Tolerance: unknown
  • Salt Tolerance: moderate
  • Growth Rate: very slow
  • Soil Preference: moist and well draining; rich
  • Light Requirement: full sun
  • Human Hazards: petioles somewhat sharp- caution when pruning
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
  • Transplants?: unknown, but suspect poor
  • Indoor?: unlikely a good candidate
  • Availability: rare, mostly due to lack of interest and marginal grower; regularly offered through mail order palm specialty nurseries


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