Plant ID: Are these GBOPs really Traveler's Palms?

The more I look at my GBOPs, the more I wonder if they could be Traveler's Palms Ravenala Madagascariensis.
I'll post a bunch of pics on these and hopefully you'll be able to tell.

Another view. They sure are a suckering lot.

This message was edited May 26, 2007 5:53 PM

This is a close up of the base of the plant.

another view of the base...

This is a view of the back.
I have a smaller GBOP that I'm wondering about too... I'll post that one next.

It's visible in the upper right corner.

This message was edited May 26, 2007 6:02 PM

This smaller one was harder to get a good picture of just because of it's location on the slope.
This looks like it could be Ravanala as well, eh?

Here's the last pic.

So what do you think guys and gals, do I have Ravenalas, or do I have GBOP's?

It comes down to the laws of probability. Do you think the Dr. that originally planted them would have sought them out at Rancho Soledad Nursery? As far as I know, that's about the only place in the county you can get them. It's WAY more likely he put in GBOPs, since they are available at every home and garden center. Especially considering his palm choices were washies and queens!

I dont see any particular fan shaped growth. The base of a Ravenala in the ground a few years is much wider than the GBOP. One of those in the ground a few years and you won't mistake it for a GBOP.

I once had a local Hort tell me that there are different strains of GBOP around..some are much larger plants-and others are more cold tolerant. Depending on what part of the original range in South Africa they came from.

well ever since I got a Ravenala last weekend, I keep looking at these birds, which BTW, never produce any flowers, which is another reason why wonder about 'em.

terry may be right, what is the probability the Dr. bought those? Everything else in the yard, (except Phoenix canarienesis) was direct from Home Depot. But then again, there are a LOT of HAWAIIAN plants that had been brought back direct from Hawaii! Of which there were a number of including sun orchids, ferns and other tropicals. So who's to say it might not have been one of them?

BAT is right however, there does not seem to be a definite fan pattern charateristic of the Ravenalas. This is huge.

Yep. All Giant Birds.

Terry, you can get Ravenala's at a lot of places. One place I know has themin 24 " boxes all SoCal grown from seed.

Traveler's trees tend to have flat leaves, or even leaves that fold a bit downward, while GBOP have 'V'd leaves- that's one pretty reilable characteristic. Also, Ravenelas don't tend to offset as early in life as Strelitzias. And of course, already mentioned, Strelitzias are much hardier plants (though will still get badly damaged at temps below 28F)- you can even feel the difference in the leaf- Strelitzia leaves are more plastic-like and stiffer.

Thanks for all the info guys. I wonder why these never flower? In the 7+ years I've owned the place, no flowers, ever on it.

Now the Strelitzias are the smaller ones, not the GBOP, right?

FoF, they are still pretty small yet. Fertilize and water and I think you will get flowers this year or next.

Do they respond to palm fertilizer or maybe something else?

Strelitzia is the genus for all bird of paradise plants, the big ones, small ones and any others. Ravanela is the genus for traveler's trees. The bigger Strelitzias are far less likely to flower until they have a decent trunk on them, and then only if really kept warm, watered well and in rich soil. But even then, they are sporadic flowerers, unlike the smaller species (S reginae and juncae). I have noticed about LA that the freeze seems to have stimulated better than normal flowering on these Strelitzia nicolais (GBOP)... some of these plants are over 20' tall yet every single leaf is burnt to a crisp by the freeze... and they are flowering like mad- pretty weird.

These are not palms, remember. Palm fertilizers are mostly designed for growth and over all nutrition, not flowering. So if you want a plant to flower, you need a fertilizer that is heavier on the Phosphorus (the middle number, I think), which would NOT be what you would ever see in a palm fertilizer. Strelitzias are basically bananas (close relative) so fertilize as if they were bananas, not palms.

Well since I just bought a banana at Lowe's about a month ago, looks like I could use it on several plants. I like that idea. Great deal on the banana at Lowe's. $19.95. Same plant at Costco: $39.95.
It's already pushed out at least four leaves since i planted it.
Thanks for all the great info.
So what is the best fertilizer for Ravenala?

Do you mean what's the best fertilizer for Strelizia? Do you also have a Ravanela?

FoF-that is a ensete that you bought, which is in the Musa family, but is not a "banana". It does not produce edible fruit and when it does flower, it will die. It is gorgeous though, isn't it?

I would use the same high nitrogen, low phosphorus fert that you would use for palms on the ensete and the ravenelas and the also the WBOP, as it is still young and not likely to bloom for you for a few years. In other words-get some growth on the WBOP for a few years and then start adding phosphorus ( it is the second number) when the plant is a bit bigger.

Palmbob-I think that the freeze sent the WBOP into thinking that they were dying and that is why they are all blooming now. Anytime a plant (generally speaking) thinks that it is going to die, it will send out blooms in order to reproduce, i.e. create seeds to keep the species going.
In the valley that I lived in on Maui, there was the second largest (oldest) lychee orchard in Hawaii ( I think-maybe just on Maui) and the trees were huge and no longer producing in a consistent manner, but you could see where they had girdled ( cut around) the trunks to make the trees think that they were dying in order to stimulate another crop of fruit.

My largest trunk on my GBOP is flowering despite not a single leaf-even right now only a spear sits on top. Also FOF, Your "travelers" are waaaay too lush and unbothered by the freeze to be 4-real(as the kid's say) this early in summer.
FOF,rent 'Blood Diamonds' with Leonardo de Caprio- I swear your clumps look like the exact doubles of the clumping GBOP you see in the wild in that movie. In the last scenes of the movie you see them all over the grassy hillsides between rock formations. Not a one had a tall trunk-but wide clumps.Not sure why or what that means about habitat or species.

Dave, if you read my post several posts up, you'll see my Ravenala. I got it last weekend.
And thanks tigerlily for that info. BTW, what is a WBOP? Is that the same as the GBOP? I don't know what the "W" stands for. For the record, my GBOPs are about 8 years old, so it's not like they're brand new. But I guess not old enough to bloom.

I've tried to simplify life by sticking with 3 fertilizers:

Palms... Vigoro Palm and Ixora fertilizer (8-4-8 plus minors)
Lawn and Bamboo... Bandini ProChoice (16-6-8, not as high N as most lawn ferts)
Everything else... Vigoro All-Purpose Plant Food (16-16-16)

I throw liquid seaweed/fish emulsion extract concentrates at my bananas once a month.

I have some smaller then that blooming. But I water and fert like a mad man. :)

I think I have 16 total Giant birds on my property. I love using them for back drop plants in the landscape. The can be used as a canvas to highlight palms or other plants. Plus they add a different texture to the landscape on a large scale. Not many other plants can get so big with that type of leaf structure. Another thing I do, is as they get bigger I will choose only 4 - 5 stems and cut out the rest to limit the 'messyness' and clump size.

cutting out the suckers sounds like a good idea. Maybe they might start blooming...

FoF-W stands for White. They are called White birds of paradise because the bloom is white and blue, whereas the bird of paradise is orange/blue. Yes, they are the same as Giant bird of paradise-but until this thread, I have never heard them called GBOP-always wbop-which more accurately describes the plant-in terms of the bloom anyway. I hope yours blooms for you!

Our Heliconias have leaves like that .
Try Googling heliconias ?

I know about heliconias. I wish I could grow them here. They're a solid zone 11 aren't they?
I almost could. They are so beautiful!

There are two to three species at least you can grow in your zone- go to the Huntington- they have about 3 species there I think. I have one in my yard, and though it was defoliated by the freeze, it's coming back fine (bulbs will do that)- the one I have is no less hardy than a Canna

Heliconias? try sheidiana. It has nice pendant blooms and banana like leaves.Perfectly hardy zone 9b. H.psitticorum is SouCal hardy-enough. And look into other Heliconia species native to highland or northern Mexico. Something like ten species are said to be hardy or worth a try. Aloha tropicals carry some of these subtropical species i hear.

oooh, BAT said the 'A' word.

I had little success with Aloha's plants after purchasing them @ the Ventura County Fair a few years back. Didn't seem to be the highest quality plants. But that's just my experience.

That Columnea schiedeana looks very interesting, is this the one?

http://www.gesneriasterna.se/bilder/Columnea-schiedeana.jpg



Heliconia psittacorum L.f x H. Spathocircinata - Aristeguiata cv. Golden Torch
how's that for a mouthful? Anyway they are beautiful and are sold $4.95 a rhizome. What is a rhizome, and active root you just plant I'm guessing?
http://www.agrotropical.andes.com/fotos%20album/psittgoldentorchgra.jpg

but ones like this variety we really liked when we saw them in Kauai and Maui...
http://www.uzinadeproducao.com.br/galeriadefotos/Fotheliconias/Flor3.jpg
http://home.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/shoyaku/photo/Thai/020307Heliconia.jpg

Here are 2 Pics. of my Haliconias .
Sexy Hanger .

FOF , You can see your leaves look a lot like these ?????

Just one more to show actual Size .

I wanna grow some of those!
Wonder where I can get 'em.
Thanks Ginger those are beautful and I love those leaves too!

Don't you think they look a little like your leaves ?

They look a LOT like GBOP leaves. Soooo tropical.