Ravenala madagascariensis Seeds | Traveller’s Palm
LATIN NAME: Ravenala madagascariensis
COMMON NAME: Traveller’s Palm
Plant Profile
Traveller’s Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis) grows as a tall, palm in the bird-of-paradise family (Strelitziaceae). No plant of warm world looks quite like the traveller’s palm from the side. Leaf bases hold water where stalk meets trunk, which is how plant earned its name — a tired traveller could break base and find a drink. Through warm season it carries large, white, waxy flowers in boat-shaped bracts, followed by clusters of blue seeds in woody capsules. Mature plants top out at about Twenty metres. All of this makes Traveller’s Palm a satisfying plant to grow and to get to know.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the bird-of-paradise family regularly include Ravenala madagascariensis in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. The traveller’s palm has been studied in botany for its odd, fan-shaped crown and its place among relatives of bird-of-paradise family, and plant scientists have examined way huge leaves are held in the single, flat, fan. Centuries of cultivation have left a detailed record of how it grows and behaves.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Traveller’s Palm has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. For warm, tropical garden, the traveller’s palm is a bold, generous show. Its huge, fan-shaped crown of paddle-like leaves gives a singular, architectural presence to garden and drive, and large, white, waxy flowers in boat-shaped bracts pull in birds and insects of the region. Water held in leaf bases has long been a familiar of old travellers’ accounts, and tree has been carried to gardens of warm world for its bold, sculptural crown. Given the right start, it carries on with minimal intervention.
The traveller’s tree stores drinkable water in its leaf bases, the legend of thirsty travelers; it is Madagascar’s iconic ornamental.
Growing from Seed
Traveller’s Palm grows readily from seed. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, keep the sowing evenly moist, and give the pot or tray bright light. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Among the Ravenala group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Few garden plants carry such a documented history of use as this one does. What it needs is basic: sun, drainage, and a little patience while it establishes.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Traveller’s Palm often pair it with these related subjects: