Ravenala madagascariensis

[Palmy]

This one is by far the hugest one I have ever seen. This was taken in Mazatlan and was well over 50 feet. The palm on the left is quite huge.

[surgeon83]

Couldn't help but revive this thread on one of my all-time favorite plants.  This is probably as good as it will ever look after a rainy,

wind-free summer, taken in the middle of September, from behind this time.  

Since then we had some windy days with gusts peaking to 58mph- poor thing is quite shredded now.

 Oh well, there's always next year!

PS: It's about 7' tall

[galveston1602]

looking good....

mine is quite shreaded and probably 12' tall now.  i wish itd show its trunk sometime soon though!!

[neoflora]

Dave, Try reducing your water. These plants are drought tolerant. I only water mine once a week at the most. They are in 7 gal. pots look great. Ron

[Walt]

I was out today inspecting my traveler's palm and almost thought I was in the jungles of Madagascar.

Turn up speakers and then click on link:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/video/3090826000042496162MpOJDF

[palmmermaid]

I am glad some people like these plants.   They get huge here in south Florida and are very messy.  And the rats love to make nests in them.  The wind shreds their leaves and they look really bad.  Keeping them in pots or having them die each winter isn't a bad thing.  That would keep them under control.  And if youever need water, just cut one of the branches and you have water.

[surgeon83]

Wow Walt, that is quite impressive!  The video really helps get a sense of the whole plant.  As always, it just keeps making me hope to move to FL next year!

[GREENHAND]

i have posted this one before , but i will show it again anyway

[GREENHAND]

another one, in playa mexico

[Walt]

(surgeon83 @ Jul. 16 2007,11:06)

QUOTE

Wow Walt, that is quite impressive!  The video really helps get a sense of the whole plant.  As always, it just keeps making me hope to move to FL next year!

Well, the traveler's palm is a zone 10a plant, so make sure you move now lower than the upper end of zone 9b. I'm at the upper end of zone 9b (one lousy day a year causes that), otherwise I'm zone 10 and higher. In any event, my traveler's palm didn't get any damage at 29 degrees.

Even if it dropped to 25 degrees they would get defoliated but would regrow new leaves

[Walt]

(GREENHAND @ Jul. 16 2007,17:07)

QUOTE

i have posted this one before , but i will show it again anyway

When I think of traveler's palms, that's what I think about (ones like in your photos).

[Mike Evans]

Here is one from my garden w/ wood.  I keep 2 trunks only on this specimen.  It is hard to get a good pic of it for all the other Palms that are in the way.  I trim all other suckers.  I keep ~ 12 specimens in the garden.  Very tropical looking.

[Mike Evans]

Here is a smaller specimen growing under a  Live Oak.  I have mature travelers flower every year, but never produces seed.  Does anyone else get seed from their flowers?

[Walt]

My young traveler's palm produced flowers for the first time last year. I looked high and low for seeds (not really knowing what I was looking for, size, etc.) but found none.

I talked to a local nurseryman who told me he was going to start propagating travelers from seed as the nursery trade supply was low on plants. I didn't ask him where he gets his seed. I'm not interested in buying and raising them from seed, other than if I can get seed from my own tree, if and ever it does one day produce seed.

Yes, traveler's palms are fantastic tropical plants IMO, with relatively fast growth, at least in terms of leaf count per year. I'd like to get a few more.

[gavilan1]

Dave, I give my pot bound traveler a good soaking everyday, morning and afternoon, in this hot weather.  It got its butt kicked in mid-January, but it recovered nicely.  No POW here, my traveler is happy in the pot in full sun in my south facing back yard.  A slight amount of burn on the edges, but it loves full sun, heat, and water.  The leaves are standing about three plus feet out of the ground on this three year old.  There are a few 15G singles and doubles at the local HD in Garden Grove with leaves out to 8 or 9', nice if you're looking for instant gratification, but only one of three has sold in a few weeks at $199.  I feed mine palm mix granulated for the minors and a handful of Ironite for good measure/color.  Bob in Fullerton had a giant one in his front lawn (about 25').  I don't know how it faired during the winter, but it had plenty of trunk.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/...046846379NVnABT