Latania loddigesii

blue latan palm

A twenty foot tall blue latan palm, Latania loddigesii, by the pool at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort in Key Largo, Florida

Blue latan palm is a very eye-catching and attractive specimen plant native only to the small island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar. It has a high drought tolerance and a moderate tolerance of salt spray. Its limited native range and uninhabited state up until the 1500s are likely the major reasons for the lack of recorded uses of this plant by humans.