Ravenala Madagascariensis, commonly known as the travelers' palm, is not a palm, but is related to bananas.
It is a very popular ornamental plant in tropical regions around the world. It is mainly famous for the characteristic arrangement of leaves, which gives the whole plant the appearance of a huge fan.
The Travelers' Palm gets its name from its ability to retain water in the bases of leaves for a long time after rain providing water to travelers. Long leaves catch rain that flows down to the base of the leaves, which are stacked on top of each other
and attached to the trunk at an upward angle. The seeds sprout irregularly, but the plant grows very quickly.The waxy blue seed coat may contain sprout inhibitors and should be removed for better results.
High daytime temperatures can contribute to faster and more even germination, and the use of hot water before sowing and soaking can also improve the results.
Ravenala is not a hardy plant. It is true that its frost resistance is defined as USDA 10-11, which would prove that it tolerates short-term drops in temperature to -1 degrees C, but we do not recommend trying it. It is a beautiful, usually terraced, ornamental plant, but
in the frost-free summer season, we can put the plant into the ground. It then grows much faster than in a container.