Description

• Traveler’s Palm is one of the most interesting tree-like plants. Traveler’s palm is not a true palm. In part it looks like banana plant and in part a palm tree.
• The leaves are up to 10 ft long and 12-20 inches wide. Young traveler’s palms have no visible trunk which, is underground. In adult plants, the trunk emerges above the ground, raising the symmetrical leaf-fan to heights ranging from 30-60 ft.
• The green palmlike trunk grows up to 1 ft in diameter and displays distinctive trunk leaf scar rings.
• The small white flowers, in a foot long inflorescence, are held in bracts. In these bracts and leaf folds, rainwater is collected.
• The fruits are brown while the seeds are blue.

Uses

• The fruits and seeds are edible.
• The leaves are used for roofing and as a packing material. The leaf petioles and midribs are used for making walls. The bark is used for making floors in houses.
• In these bracts and leaf folds, rainwater is collected, which can be consumed by thirsty travelers, what gives it the name traveler’s palm.