Blue Latan Palm

Scientific name: Latania loddigesii

POWO Status: Tree

IUCN Red List threat level: Endangered

GPS Location: 17° 42′ 55.74″ N, 64° 49′ 48.75″ W

Observations:

Phenological Markers – Latania loddigesii
Common Name: Blue Latan Palm, Blue Latania
Scientific Name: Latania loddigesii Mart.
Family: Arecaceae

Leaf Phenology

Leaf Type: Large, stiff, fan-shaped (costapalmate) leaves with thick petioles; prominent, coarse texture
Evergreen/Semi-deciduous: Evergreen
Leaf Flush: New leaves emerge year-round in warm tropical climates; peak growth during wetter months
Leaf Shedding: Older leaves naturally die back and are shed or remain attached until pruned
Leaf Color Changes: Juvenile leaves are bright silvery-blue; mature leaves become more greenish-blue; senescing leaves turn yellow-brown before dropping

Flower Phenology

Flower Type: Small, creamy-yellow to pale white flowers; dioecious species (male and female flowers on separate plants)
Inflorescence: Male inflorescences are long, branched, and more conspicuous; female inflorescences are shorter and less branched
Flowering Season: Primarily late spring to early summer (May–July in many tropical regions)
Flower Duration: 3–6 weeks
Flowering Cues: Consistently warm temperatures and seasonal moisture

Fruit Phenology

Fruit Type: Large, oval to round drupes (up to 5 cm), smooth and green when immature, ripening to orange or reddish-brown; each contains a large seed
Fruit Development Period: 6–8 months after pollination
Fruit Maturity Season: Typically late winter to early spring (February–April)
Fruit Dispersal: Gravity and animal dispersal; seeds are large and heavy

Bark Phenology

Bark Texture: Smooth to slightly fibrous with prominent leaf scar rings
Bark Color: Gray to light brown, sometimes with a slight bluish cast near the crownshaft
Unique Bark Features: Stout, columnar trunk reaching 10–12 m; retains a clean appearance when old leaves are removed