Outdoor verdict
Traveler's palm is not an outdoor plant where frost happens. USDA 10b+ means nights that stay near 32F. Young plants can wait in a pot. A mature one wants the ground only if the winter clears that number.
A giant fan of banana-like leaves sold as a palm. It is not in the palm family. USDA 10b to 12, and a freeze will melt it.
Cold hardiness
Survives about 32°F / 0°C. Outdoor range USDA 10b–12a. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Click a state to open palms that grow there.
Highlighted USDA zones 10b–12a. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Winter care
Drainage matters more than a blanket. Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained. Water: Moist but never waterlogged (mesic). Wrapping does not buy an extra zone. If the winter is colder than the kill number, keep it in a pot.
Scientific facts
- True palms are Arecaceae. This is Strelitziaceae, with bird of paradise.
- Leaves stand in one plane, like a fan or a compass. Petiole bases hold rainwater.
- It is not a landscape palm for zone 9. A freeze drops the foliage overnight.
Region of origin
Madagascar
Native countries
Historical discovery
Pierre Sonnerat published Ravenala madagascariensis in 1782. It is in the bird-of-paradise family, not the palm family.
Names
Common names
Traveler's palm, Traveller's tree, East-west palm
Synonyms
- None widely used
Full care guide
The traveler's palm is a Madagascar plant with banana-like leaves in a flat fan, sold as a palm because of the name. It is Ravenala madagascariensis, in the bird-of-paradise family. USDA 10b to 12. A freeze will melt it overnight.
Growth Rate:
Fast in heat with water.
Fruit and Flowering:
Woody capsules with blue arils. Birds and lemurs handle that in Madagascar. Garden plants may flower in heat.
Light Requirements:
Full sun in humid heat. Light shade inland if leaves scorch.
Water Requirements:
Even moisture. Dry neglect makes tattered leaves.
Maintenance Level:
Medium to high. Remove shredded leaves. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer in the growing season. It is hungry, like a banana, not like a ponytail succulent.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Leaf tear from wind, scale, and nutrient yellowing. Cold is the real killer.
Plant Care:
Heat, water, fertilizer, no freeze. Plant it as a tropical screen, not as a hardy palm. If your winter still freezes, this is the wrong plant.
Traveler's palm Frequently Asked Questions:
Plant a traveler's palm where nights stay tropical and the hose still reaches. If you wanted a hardy palm, you wanted windmill, pindo, or dwarf palmetto.
Traveler's palm questions
Will Traveler's palm live outside?
Not where frost happens. Traveler's palm wants nights near 32F (USDA 10b+). Grow it in a pot and bring it in.
What do nurseries mislabel Traveler's palm as?
Common names wander. The accepted name is Ravenala madagascariensis. Read the Latin on the tag before you buy.
Pot or ground for Traveler's palm in a cold state?
Start it in a pot if you want. The ground is fine only where winter stays above about 32F.
Is traveler's palm a real palm?
No. It is Ravenala madagascariensis, related to bird of paradise. The name stuck because of the fan and the water in the leaf bases.
Can I grow it in Southern California?
In frost-free coastal and low-desert-edge heat, yes. An inland freeze will defoliate or kill it.
Does it really hold drinking water?
The petiole bases catch rain. Do not plan a survival kit around a garden specimen.
Traveler's palm or giant bird of paradise?
Giant bird of paradise is Strelitzia nicolai, with clumping stems and a messier habit. Ravenala is the single-plane fan.
Related palms
The mix-up, the substitute, then nearby hardiness.
