Ravenala in Europe

[Than]

Are there any Ravenalas in the ground anywhere in south Europe? Please share your experience if you've ever tried it.

[bubba]

Great question! Will it be answered?

[PalmsandLiszt]

There's a thread somewhere here about someone starting a palm garden in Southern Spain, and I'm pretty sure I saw a Ravenala planted out in it (although this wasn't remarked upon). I can't remember the title, though.

[gurugu]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cafetería+Andalucía/@36.740506,-4.0962027,3a,39.3y,25.23h,93.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQrMqDGxLAGbE3YUjHnZZZQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0xd7247b6933dac69:0xe19706fcbe29482d!2sAv.+de+Andalucía,+Torre+del+Mar,+Málaga!3b1!8m2!3d36.743105!4d-4.0912681!3m4!1s0xd7247bc7e206ba1:0xc3cb56f1ab642be2!8m2!3d36.7413207!4d-4.0948981

Small ones in La Concepción botanical garden Málaga

Molino del Inca

Málaga capital city

Dozens of them more have been planted along these 20 or so years.

The oldest and tallest one I saw was in Almuñecar back in 1989. It was over 2 mts of clear trunk. It was chopped down later.

 

[bubba]

If these can be grown in the south of Spain, I see no reason that they should not be utilized more often in California. The climates are very similar but I am of the impression that California is warmer. Can anybody comment on this?

[Janni]

On 3/30/2022 at 9:20 AM, ego said:

Are there any Ravenalas in the ground anywhere in south Europe? Please share your experience if you've ever tried it.

In Crete there is at least one Hotel with a very tropical garden. Amongst other nice palms, there is a ravenala. Just google for the "Danaides Hotel Malia" and browse through the pictures. I am sure you'll love that garden!!

Ο κατασκευαστής είναι Φυτώρα Κρήτης. Δεν ξέρω αν επιτρέπεται να βάλω σύνδεσμο με τον κατασκευαστή εδώ. Θα ήταν μάλλον παράνομη διαφήμιση...

[Than]

1 hour ago, Janni said:

In Crete there is at least one Hotel with a very tropical garden. Amongst other nice palms, there is a ravenala. Just google for the "Danaides Hotel Malia" and browse through the pictures. I am sure you'll love that garden!!

Ο κατασκευαστής είναι Φυτώρα Κρήτης. Δεν ξέρω αν επιτρέπεται να βάλω σύνδεσμο με τον κατασκευαστή εδώ. Θα ήταν μάλλον παράνομη διαφήμιση...

Oh wow. Another Greek in here. Thanks for the info. I'll look it up. My family live in Crete so I'll def visit too. I ordered some ravenala seeds but I live in Attica. Not sure how I can winterize that monster. It doesn't have buds to produce new growth. Only one meristem. But if it can survive in Crete it could survive in Attica too with protection. 

[Janni]

I have had a coule ravenalas in pots 10 years ago. Unfortunately for me it is completely unrealistic to plant them outside, as I live in Germany. In the end I had to realize, that the ravenala is no good indoor plant. It grows too fast and needs perfect conditions to stay healthy. So I ended up with no ravenala left... But I love those giants!!

Lately Botanists have described five different species of ravenala (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01161-1). Furthermore there is the south-american cousin of the travellers palm, phenakospermum guyannense. Maybe there is one or two species amongst them, which is cold hardier or more cool tolerant.

However, you will have issues with the wind, no matter where you are in Greece. You'll have to select a spot well protected against harsh winds. Otherwise the leaves will never look good. I don't know to which degree the wind affects the growth and/or health of the whole plant, but a protected spot is definitely a good choice for the travellers palm.

[Chris Chance]

On 4/3/2022 at 3:50 AM, bubba said:

If these can be grown in the south of Spain, I see no reason that they should not be utilized more often in California. The climates are very similar but I am of the impression that California is warmer. Can anybody comment on this?

These are grown in California but not seen all that often. Places like my area do see frost and they definitely don't like it. Coastal areas are perfect for them in California. 

[Than]

19 hours ago, Janni said:

I have had a coule ravenalas in pots 10 years ago. Unfortunately for me it is completely unrealistic to plant them outside, as I live in Germany. In the end I had to realize, that the ravenala is no good indoor plant. It grows too fast and needs perfect conditions to stay healthy. So I ended up with no ravenala left... But I love those giants!!

Lately Botanists have described five different species of ravenala (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01161-1). Furthermore there is the south-american cousin of the travellers palm, phenakospermum guyannense. Maybe there is one or two species amongst them, which is cold hardier or more cool tolerant.

However, you will have issues with the wind, no matter where you are in Greece. You'll have to select a spot well protected against harsh winds. Otherwise the leaves will never look good. I don't know to which degree the wind affects the growth and/or health of the whole plant, but a protected spot is definitely a good choice for the travellers palm.

My plot is windy I must confess.. I'll try it with winter protection even if leaves look torn

[Xenon]

On 4/3/2022 at 5:50 AM, bubba said:

If these can be grown in the south of Spain, I see no reason that they should not be utilized more often in California. The climates are very similar but I am of the impression that California is warmer. Can anybody comment on this?

Parts of the southern coastal strip of Andalucia have winter nights matching or even exceeding (near the Strait of Gibraltar) coastal San Diego; the winter daytime temps are just slightly cooler but the summers are warmer. Mangos and cherimoya are grown on a commercial scale. 

[Mangosteen]

On 4/3/2022 at 3:50 AM, bubba said:

If these can be grown in the south of Spain, I see no reason that they should not be utilized more often in California. The climates are very similar but I am of the impression that California is warmer. Can anybody comment on this?

I'm about ten miles from the Pacific in south Orange Orange county in CA. We've had temps in the high 30's F, but my Travellers Palm has never shown any damage. I get plenty of flowers, but no seeds. As it has gotten more mature, it has twisted so that it is "facing" due South.

[bubba]

Beauty!

[Foxpalms]

On 3/30/2022 at 8:20 AM, Than said:

Are there any Ravenalas in the ground anywhere in south Europe? Please share your experience if you've ever tried it.

Late reply! But there are some in Gibraltar. Not really surprising considering it's zone 11 and the all time record low there was 0c at the airport.

[Than]

OK that gives me a bit of hope although my zone is 10a. 

Btw a horticulturalist told me that there is a spray I can use on my plants in the winter to protect them from the cold. He said it raises the temperature tolerance by another 3 degrees or so and has no negative effect on the plant. He also said it is applied only once and lasts the whole winter. Is there such a thing and is it a good idea?

[Navarro]

2 hours ago, Than said:

Bueno, eso me da un poco de esperanza aunque mi zona es 10a. 

Por cierto, un horticultor me dijo que hay un espray que puedo usar en mis plantas en invierno para protegerlas del frío. Dijo que aumenta la tolerancia a la temperatura unos 3 grados más o menos y no tiene ningún efecto negativo en la planta. También dijo que se aplica solo una vez y dura todo el invierno. ¿Existe tal cosa y es una buena idea?

Ese producto lo tiene una marca para cultivos de marihuana,no lo he probado pero me quedé con las ganas de hacerlo 

[Foxpalms]

2 hours ago, Navarro said:

Ese producto lo tiene una marca para cultivos de marihuana,no lo he probado pero me quedé con las ganas de hacerlo 

I have seen videos of people in Texas using a similar product specifically for palms.

[Than]

5 hours ago, Foxpalms said:

I have seen videos of people in Texas using a similar product specifically for palms.

If it's really that easy to jump up a zone, everyone would do it... 🤔

[Foxpalms]

22 hours ago, Than said:

If it's really that easy to jump up a zone, everyone would do it... 🤔

I think it just reduces frost damage on the leaves. Or at least that's what it's designed for. For the travellers palm because it's pretty watery I think it could work well at stopping the whole thing from potentially freezing. Or it just gives it a slight edge.

[Phoenikakias]

On 3/30/2022 at 10:20 AM, Than said:

Are there any Ravenalas in the ground anywhere in south Europe? Please share your experience if you've ever tried it.

 

On 8/23/2024 at 12:51 AM, Foxpalms said:

Late reply! But there are some in Gibraltar. Not really surprising considering it's zone 11 and the all time record low there was 0c at the airport.

 

On 8/25/2024 at 8:55 AM, Than said:

OK that gives me a bit of hope although my zone is 10a. 

Btw a horticulturalist told me that there is a spray I can use on my plants in the winter to protect them from the cold. He said it raises the temperature tolerance by another 3 degrees or so and has no negative effect on the plant. He also said it is applied only once and lasts the whole winter. Is there such a thing and is it a good idea?

Hey Than, you will get an answer regarging 10A southern Attica after a couple years. Regarding this magical chemical, there used to be a couple decades ago somethig similar in the market called ecosane or ecosun or something similar. I had tested it on some tender palms only to find out that it was helping survived palms to recover faster but during the cold spell they had to fare on their own and in fact I had gotten the impression that a treatment with this stuff before the cold spell had made the plants considerably more tender and vulnerable. The long standing practice in Europe is ceasing feeding and watering in order to put plants in to a dormant state. In such state the shock induced by a sudden cold spell should remain reduced.

[Phoenikakias]

On 4/6/2022 at 11:08 AM, Than said:

My plot is windy I must confess.. I'll try it with winter protection even if leaves look torn

There is a simple trick that can be used on plants with distichous leaf  arrangement (eg Ravenalla, Wallichia disticha), which can mitigate the negative effects of strong wind; find out direction of strongest or most frequent wind in your area and stick such plants in to the ground with the leaves  taking same direction and never crosswise.