Ravenala Madagascariensis growth rate

[kaybelize]

How long will it take for a Travelers Palm take to reach this size?

[bgl]

Kay,

Just so you know what happened, I just moved this thread from Discussing Palm Trees to this other sub-forum, which is intended for plants other than palms. And to answer your question and based on my own experience, I'd say it can go from a 1 or 2 gallon size to the size shown in the photo in about 5 years. I just looked at some old photos of a Ravenala madagascariensis that I planted in 1997. Nine years later, in 2006, it was twice as tall as the one in your photo. I don't remember the exact size it was when I planted it, but no more than 4 ft tall or so.

Bo-Göran

[Laisla87]

Once established, they grow very fast. You think they are doing nothing when all of a sudden a near spear emerges and unfurls in a matter of days. Then the stem fattens up over the next few weeks and bam! the process repeats itself.

These are fast growing once established. You cannot give them too much water.

BTW, mine moved itself. I planted one in a north-south orientation against a low part in the fence for privacy. It has sinced tilted itself completely east-west and I have no more privacy!

[quaman58]

Water, water, is the key. Here in San Diego (which is really not ideally warm for them), my neighbor bought several 1 gallon plants about 6 years ago. All of them reached the top of our 2 story house within 4 years, were over 2 feet wide at the bases & began suckering profusely. But because they looked a bit ratty every winter, he has been removing them over the last few months. I still have one in my front yard, but it's been quite a bit slower since there's less available water.

[Kumar]

From the time it has a leaf that large, I'd say 3 years, given plenty of water and sun. I'll try to find photos of the growth of mine (one frond each month).

[colin Peters]

I planted one from a small 5 gallon and it got to about the size in the

picture in about 2 yrs. Lots of water. I just cut it down to make

room for a more rarer plant, Loxococcos Rupicola.

aloha

Colin

[kaybelize]

Thanks for the answers everyone.

[palmmermaid]

By the way, rats love to live in these. That's why I won't plant them. I don't want to do anything to encourage rats! I wage war on rats. Hate the damn things.

[Laisla87]

By the way, rats love to live in these. That's why I won't plant them. I don't want to do anything to encourage rats! I wage war on rats. Hate the damn things.

Rats love to live in alot of things.

[palmmermaid]

That is true. That's why I don't have any palms that have petticoats. If the leaves don't fall off, I don't want them. I keep my bananas very clean. I have hawks in the area that eat a lot of rats. We also have owls and snakes around that help with the rats. But no cats. I don't like cats either. Cats outside kill huge numbers of our native songbirds - upwards of 1 billion per year. Our birds have no species memory of a small arboreal predator like the house cat. And cats hunt even when they are fed.

[kaybelize]

By the way, rats love to live in these. That's why I won't plant them. I don't want to do anything to encourage rats! I wage war on rats. Hate the damn things.

yuck

[Kumar]

Here are three photos of my Traveller, showing growth at April 2010, July 2011 and Feb 2012

April 2010

July 2011

Feb 2012