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Trunk
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The palmlike trunk displays showy trunk rings as seen the scars all along it, left by the leaves when they fall with age.
History
Introduced to Singapore in the early 1900s.
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| Traveller's Palm |
 Origin from Madagascar is actually a relative of the banana tree. Not a true palm, it has been described as being part banana tree and part palm tree. Adult Traveller's Palm emerges above ground to elevate the symmetrical fan assembly to heights to about 30 feet or more. Find these trees at Raffles Landing Site.
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| How the Traveller's Palm gets its name |
 The rainwater is collected in the enlarged sheaths at the base of the leaves, or leaf folds or on the many parts of the plant. Each leaf base may hold up to one quart of water. In earlier days, travellers would use the water collected from the plant to quench their thirst, thus the common name - Traveller's Palm.
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| Leaves |
The leaves resemble those of the banana and extend distinctively out from the trunk like large slats of a hand fan. The leaves range up to 10 feet long, from 12 to 20 inches in width and spread of up to an average of 18 feet. The leaf blades are usually seen tattered and torn from exposure to the wind.
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Other info
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Landscape
When introduced to Singapore, it adapted quickly to the local climate and soon became a favourite in landscaped gardens all over the island.
Folklore
It is said, "If a traveller stands directly in front of a traveller's palm and makes a wish in good spirit - that wish will definitely come true."
Flowering
Flowering does not occur in Singapore and the plant is propagated by suckers, which arise from the base of the parent plant. |
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