Latania lontaroides - Red Latan in flower

[PalmatierMeg]

This evening my husband called me outside to look at our Latania lontaroides, red Latan. It is flowering for the first time. This species, unfortunately, is dioecious and I have just this one - I believe red is the rarest of the Latanias. We think our palm is male but can someone more expert than i confirm this? Right next to it is a much younger but still strapping blue Latan. Does anyone know if the 3 Latan species hybridize with one another? Part of me hopes not but another part would love to have some Latania seeds. This is a slow growing palm. We got it as a 3g in spring 2010 after a record cold winter. Within a few weeks its spear pulled and I was distraught. But later that growing season another spear grew and the palm has powered through subsequent winters. The ultimate low this past winter was 34F and it shows only a bit of tip damage to newer fronds.

Latania lontaroides/red Latan in flower, Cape Coral, FL

[Palmsbro]

Yes, they do hybridize.

[Mostapha]

Beautiful palm, Meg. I have 10 of the reds that I germinated over the winter. I have no need for 10, but that's how I purchased the seeds. I let nothing go to waste, right down to the avacodo pits.( I just gave away probably 20.) Once these Latanias are a little bigger I will give them away as well, as long as they will be careful for. A good friend runs a small florist/ greenhouse, so I usually give her a few seedlings for her collection.

Here's a picture of a few of the latans taken about a month and a half ago. Will have to update soon. They are showing alot if red, just not so visible in this pic.

Good luck with your latans. Mark

[PalmatierMeg]

Look good, Mark. Young red Latans show a lot of red but it fades in older palms. I really like the yellow Latan; it's looks quite different from the blue & red. Some people don't like yellows because they look "sickly" but I disagree.

[Mostapha]

Sadly, I know they eventually loose the red, but in pictures you see some beautiful maroon red palms, probably only on Reunion Island.

I too like the yellows but the only seeds I ever see are the blue and the red. On eBay a couple people have yellow seedlings for sale, one with only strap leaves and another palmate( gallon size).

Personally I would rather find seeds.

Mark

[Beespalms]

I can speak on these palms successfully hybridizing.  Fairchild garden has a island in the garden with all three species in it.  The trees flower at similar times and produce viable seeds.  I don’t remember what species / sex each tree was, but it was a almost certainty that the trees were cross pollinating when we observed and collected the seeds.  The seeds sprouted and produced seedlings.  If I remember correctly the seeds come off a red, and the father was probably a blue.  I think the winter of 2010 claimed all the seedlings so I can’t report what the seedlings look like now.