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Question; While in Southern Florida visiting my mom, I got a traveling palm at a flea market. My cousins told me I need to plant it with the leaves pointing north and south. Have you ever heard of that? I love palm trees to death and am wondering if it should be in full sun or part shade or whatever.

Answer: First of all the “Traveler’s Palm” or “Traveler’s Tree” isn’t a palm, they are more from the Banana family. As for putting the plant in full sun, I’d try keeping a little protection if possible. The leaves can get ripped up easily. Sometime people confuse the Traveler’s palm – botanically Ravenala madagascariensis with the white Bird of Paradise which has grown very popular over the past decade.

To answer the question on planting the tree north or south is one I’ve heard before, but it’s been a while. The main reason plant a tree like the travelers palm so the leaves run north and south is simply a lighting issue. The sun comes up in the east and sets in the west. THis will allow the tree to grab as much light as it can get.