Red Red Latan

[Pedro 65]

Latania lontaroides has exception colour when young, plenty of red red thats for sure, pls post some pics of "your" Red Latan.

Pete

[Sabal Steve]

Looks great Pete. It's really hard to find a fan palm that is nicer.

[NApalm]

I'm gonna have to look these up for an image when they mature. It's such a shame they loose that red because that is one stunning palm

[Pedro 65]

Steve, yes the colour is great.

NApalm, they still have lots of colour when trunking for many years , the colour lightens with old age but this will look much better in a few years when it starts getting some more size, esp the leaves.

I look fwd to PTalkers pics of their Red Latan/s

Pete

[Kennybenjamin]

Mine has got nothing on yours Pete but I like it anyway!

Here it is...

[comic097]

Both fantastic pics, thanks for sharing

[Tropicgardener]

There are some in a garden just up the road from me that are about 4ft to 5ft high and their leaves are almost totally red unlike any other I have seen...........I will try to get a photo of them but as I seem to have lost the ability to post photos here I don't know if I can put them on here.

[NApalm]

Hmmm, fruiting Andrew? Haha #wishfulthinking

[Kennybenjamin]

There are some in a garden just up the road from me that are about 4ft to 5ft high and their leaves are almost totally red unlike any other I have seen...........I will try to get a photo of them but as I seem to have lost the ability to post photos here I don't know if I can put them on here.

Hi Andrew, I have this problem from my pc as well. If your problem is the same as mine the photo will be posted but you can't see where in the post it will be??

Anyway back to red latan.....

[Pedro 65]

Thanks Ben, a great colour contrast of white, yellow, orange, red and green

The more sun the more colour, we have 1 in too much shade and it has "No" red.

Look fwd to your pics Andrew.

Pete

[Cikas]

They look great.

[doranakandawatta]

We are not so lucky with the red Latania, it seems that they loose one leave when they get a new one.

Maybe the root system is not so happy in our soil or these plants spent to long time in pots?

[mike in kurtistown]

Pete, have your red latans ever had "prickles" or slight teeth along the edges of the leaflets, particularly the outermost leaflets?

[Moose]

Hmmm, fruiting Andrew? Haha #wishfulthinking

Like the Bismarckia, you need a separate male and female palm. My girl has been fruiting for years, she still has not had a husband locate her.

[Moose]

NApalm - I can assure you they turn green with age. Have not seen a hint of red on the petioles in years. This palm has 20+ ft of wood. The ladder was left from when I was pruning off the brown fronds. Not a great photo, but you can see some of the green. The base is fairly large, 5 gallon bucket for scale. The old inflorescence scars that began when the trunk was barely taller than the 5 gallon bucket.

It is thundering right now so a won;t go on the roof. Only unobstructed view to see the crown. I'll try later ...

[Kumar]

Absolutely fantastic photos, Pete. These look much better than many red leaf pinnate palms in my humble opinion. I'd rate it as my #1 palmate palm (except for corypha )

I had a very healthy one which I planted and found out the hard way that they cannot tolerate shade when young.

[NApalm]

Wow. Cheers for the info moose. That is one mighty specimen you have there

[Bismark]

One of my favourite palms. Mine is not as red as yours Pete but when the light is right this weekend I will post pics.

[Pedro 65]

Mike, yes it has small spikes/teeth/prickles whatever they are called on the outside of the leaves but certainly not close together, does this mean its a hybrid?

Philippe, good luck with all your Palms incl Latans.

Ron, your very tall and of age Latan certainly lacks any colour but like many palms its great they have plenty of colour to be viewed and enjoyed at eye level when they are young.

Thanks Kumar, yes for full colour they have to be in full sun.

Bismark, look fwd to your pics.

Pete

[mike in kurtistown]

Good question, Pete. That's why I asked. I am trying to find what may be the "true" Latania lontaroides. I think I saw a red lont years ago completely absent of prickles/teeth, but every seedling I have seen since then has had them. Your pictures look redder and more like the real thing than the things I am raising (photos below) that I hoped were pure red lonts. These are in full sun, but it has been raining for 1 1/2 weeks and they have lost some redness.

I have "red lonts" from several sources, some of which I am sure are loddigesii hybrids. The one on the right above is from personal seed collection from a cultivated palm in Hawaii. The other two are from a seed seller.

The plant/seed sellers don't give a hoot about hybridity, assuming that all seeds are from hybridized palms, even though the seeds have unique shapes despite their hybridity. Even in the Mascarene Islands where these species come from, all species are widely cultivated and hybridized.

Does anyone have a contact on Reunion who could obtain "pure" seeds?

[AlekLO]

I have never seen such a beautiful and unusual palm tree..

[Pedro 65]

Good question, Pete. That's why I asked. I am trying to find what may be the "true" Latania lontaroides. I think I saw a red lont years ago completely absent of prickles/teeth, but every seedling I have seen since then has had them. Your pictures look redder and more like the real thing than the things I am raising (photos below) that I hoped were pure red lonts. These are in full sun, but it has been raining for 1 1/2 weeks and they have lost some redness.

Latania lontaroides maybe_1_MLM_071814.JPG Latania lontaroides maybe_3_MLM_071814.JPG

I have "red lonts" from several sources, some of which I am sure are loddigesii hybrids. The one on the right above is from personal seed collection from a cultivated palm in Hawaii. The other two are from a seed seller.

The plant/seed sellers don't give a hoot about hybridity, assuming that all seeds are from hybridized palms, even though the seeds have unique shapes despite their hybridity. Even in the Mascarene Islands where these species come from, all species are widely cultivated and hybridized.

Does anyone have a contact on Reunion who could obtain "pure" seeds?

Interesting rave Mike, it has spikes on the petioles which it has since small, I think its just the location of where mine is growing esp with the 2 last leaves still being very upright so the full sun can help intensify the back of the rachis, its always been upright like the 1 at the back of your pics.

Pete

[Kumar]

Pete, have your red latans ever had "prickles" or slight teeth along the edges of the leaflets, particularly the outermost leaflets?

Mike, I distinctly remember my red latan (as well as the entire batch from which I bought it) having very fine prickles along the edge of the leaflets..not as bad as A wrightii but can snag onto loose fibres in clothing. The leaflets of my Yellow Latan are completely smooth though. Both red and yellow latans were devoid of spines on petioles.

[mike in kurtistown]

Kumar, your observations are similar to mine on both red and yellow latans, except for the one red latan without prickles on the leaflets that I recall seeing many years ago. That palm could have been malformed, but I regularly check red latan seedlings that I see for another like that. If I had a transporter machine, as in Star Trek (did that series make it to Bombay?), I could go to Reunion to investigate the wild population and answer the question once and for all.

[Kumar]

If I had a transporter machine, as in Star Trek (did that series make it to Bombay?), I could go to Reunion to investigate the wild population and answer the question once and for all.

Haha, yes Mike, it did .. and if you're referring to the original series we got it broadcast here only in the early 90s when cable TV started (so only a small time delay of 25 years ) - but still got a lot of people hooked, including me

This is a photo of my red latan, R.I.P.

[Palmaceae]

Here is my Red Latania, still keeping it's red color.

[Pedro 65]

• Location:East Central Florida

Posted 30 August 2009 - 04:46 AM

Here is one of mine in full sun, full drought conditions. Palm saw 29 degrees this past winter. Never watered, never fertilized, defend on its own spot.

Central Floridave posted this pic and above of his in 2009, its the redder and more upright Latan like here, be great to a pic of it now 5 yrs on, any chances of that Central Floridave.

Pete

• 1

[Bismark]

Hopefully these pics come out at a reasonable size, its only taken me about two hours.

[Central Floridave]

it has lost its redness, but still kicking. survived our 2010 winter. (it got down to 28F and for a long time). This palm still gets no love or care from me. No water or fertilizer since it has been in the ground. Its on the easement and kind of in the way for bigger trucks. I'm surprised it is still alive.

[Moose]

Wow. Cheers for the info moose. That is one mighty specimen you have there

Got on the roof today. Took these shots ...

Poking her head out between a Phoenix and Corypha utan. Can't find any detectable red coloration.

[NApalm]

Nice work moose man. Still a nice looking palm, even without the red

[Neil C]

Saw this at the markets and it reminded me of this post. A little over-priced but a lovely colour.

Regards Neil

[Pedro 65]

21 minutes ago, Neil C said:

Saw this at the markets and it reminded me of this post. A little over-priced but a lovely colour.

Regards Neil

A little over price, more like "over the top price" thay certainly  aint rare or hard to find, whats it in a 10" pot ?  1 in a 5" will get to that size in a very short time and "cheap"..                    Pete

[Tropicgardener]

Ahh yes that is wishful thinking on that price !!!

[Mandrew968]

Here is ours in the garden down on the beach.

[Mandrew968]

In my opinion, not much to write home about...

[chocolatethunda]

On 7/16/2014 at 12:25 AM, Pedro 65 said:

Latania lontaroides has exception colour when young, plenty of red red thats for sure, pls post some pics of "your" Red Latan.

 

Pete

 

Looks amazing!!! Seeds I planted (Latania Lodigessi) just started germinating, can't wait!

[Beachpalms]

On 8/16/2016 at 6:26 AM, Pedro 65 said:

A little over price, more like "over the top price" thay certainly  aint rare or hard to find, whats it in a 10" pot ?  1 in a 5" will get to that size in a very short time and "cheap"..                    Pete

I just put a small one of these in the ground. Ive heard they are relatively slow growers. in your experience do they grow quickly?

[RichardHemsley]

On 9/11/2020 at 9:21 PM, chocolatethunda said:

Looks amazing!!! Seeds I planted (Latania Lodigessi) just started germinating, can't wait!

I tried this from seed a year ago with zero success.  Have looked a round for a small plant but not seen available in Europe. 

[JubaeaMan138]

On 11/27/2023 at 8:44 AM, Beachpalms said:

I just put a small one of these in the ground. Ive heard they are relatively slow growers. in your experience do they grow quickly?

I’ve grown these guys from seed they are quick!