Ravenala madagascariensis

traveler’s tree
A tropical treat, the traveler’s tree forms a dramatic fan of banana-like leaves atop a palm-like trunk. Additional stems form at the base.
height 6–30ft
width 6–20ft
tolerates Pots
water
needs		 Moderate – High
water
info		 Water this plant regularly, when the top inch or so of soil feels dry. If you establish this pattern over several years, then you can cut back to watering every week or so in dry weather. Use drippers, emitters, or a slow stream of water so that it doesn’t run off; allow the water to trickle all the way down through the deepest layers of soil. In a pot slowly water the entire surface until water comes out of the bottom of your pot.

Typically it is hard to overwater this plant during warm summer months.
hardy
to		 34F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 In or Out
drainage In Ground: Planting Mix, In Pots: Potting Soil, Tolerates Heavy Soil, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose 1/2 Strength
origin Madagascar
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 23, 24, H2

Sunset Zones Map

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Remove unwanted suckers early to establish the number and location of mature trunks and create a more open form. Trunks can be removed later, but this leaves scarred bases. Conversely, allow new suckers to fill in over time, keeping a good thick screen or make a staggered canopy.
The leaves naturally grow from the center and, as they are replaced with newer leaves, old ones turn brown. As such, there’s no need to worry if the older leaves are turning brown, as this is the natural growth of the plant. You can prune the leaves off once they start to look ratty, or leave them as they would be in nature. The trunks can also be skinned by cutting off older leaves with a serrated hori hori or razor knife. Do this by scoring a ring around the trunk, just above the base of the leaf (where it attaches to the trunk, not up near the leaf petiole coming off of the trunk). Cut just deep enough to get through the leaf without damaging the trunk (you may find a shallow cut line on the trunk, which is fine); do this while pulling the leaf base away from the cut as you go. This helps the cut stay clean and shallow. Skinning a traveler’s tree gives it a clean smooth trunk, slightly ringed, and accentuates the canopy. The trunk will be light colored at first and then darken to grey over time.
The leaves have adapted to split toward the midrib instead of just tearing off entirely in violent storms. For this reason, the traveler’s tree isn’t the best choice for a windy area, where it will grow with tattered leaves. It should also be protected during transit and not taken in a pickup bed at full speed flapping in the wind!
The growth speed of this tropical plant is directly tied to temperature. In areas with hot summers with warm evenings it bounds forward, given good water and fertilizer.

Special Interest

Commonly called the traveler’s “palm,“ this plant is related to birds of paradise (Strelitzia reginae), and is not a palm.

The name may come from the fact that water accumulates in the leafbases, offering a (desperate) traveler a way to quench their thirst.