Latania

Family. Arecaceae.

Origin. Mauritius Island.

Description. Latania or Sabal Palmetto is a large and very attractive palm tree with a dense crown of palmately divided leaves; the trunk is erect, brown, with remnants of old leaves, reaches a diameter of 30 - 45 centimeters and a height of 4.5 to 9 meters. The leaves are located on long petioles (up to 2 meters), reach 2 meters in diameter, fan-shaped, silvery, consist of 75-90 segments. The petioles have strong thorns, in young leaves they are often painted in a burgundy shade, but with age they become green. The edges of the leaf blades have small teeth. The plants are dioecious - divided into male and female. In spring, the palm blooms with very large inflorescences, almost 2 meters long, which contain many small yellow flowers.

Height. Under natural conditions it can reach 15 meters in height, in indoor culture from 1.5 to 2 meters. Mostly young palm trees are grown and develop slowly. 

Care at home

Containment temperature

Latania is a heat-loving plant and should be kept at a temperature of about 22 degrees C. In winter, do not expose it to temperatures below 15 degrees C.

Lighting

Young seedlings should not be placed in direct sunlight during the daytime. Adults tolerate even the brightest light. When grown in partial shade, the tree stretches out, blooms reluctantly and does not bear fruit.

Growing

Remove old, dried leaves and wipe the leaves with a damp sponge from time to time to remove dust. In summer, it is advisable to place the latania outside. 

Soil

Latania tolerates most types of soil well if they have excellent drainage and is unpretentious to pH.

Fertilizer latania

Requires a balanced liquid fertilizer; fertilizing is carried out from early spring to mid-autumn, every two weeks.

Flowering time

Spring-summer, blooms extremely rarely in indoor conditions.

Spraying

High humidity is required for successful maintenance. Use a room humidifier or place a tray with wet pebbles under the palm pot.

Irrigation

Water generously in spring and summer, but allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Mature specimens can tolerate short periods of drought. If the palm is kept at normal room temperature in winter, watering frequency should be the same as in summer. If you provide a cool rest period, watering frequency should be reduced.

Transplant

Latania is replanted in the spring, as it grows, into larger pots. In adult plants that are large in size, simply change the top layer of soil to fresh one every year. When replanting, try not to disturb the tree's root system.

Reproduction

It reproduces by seeds planted in spring and early summer, but this process is very long - the first shoots appear only after 2 months.

Pests and diseases

The tips of the leaves dry out and turn yellow if your palm tree is kept in an atmosphere that is too dry. Yellowed leaves indicate excess moisture in the soil.

The most common pests are spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects. 

Purpose

When kept at home, representatives of this genus require high air humidity and sufficient heat. Over time, the trees reach impressive sizes and should be kept rather in spacious halls and winter gardens.