I don't think it'll grow for you, it's too cold. It grows in zone 9B Florida which is altogether different climate. I got one in the ground, it's rather slow. I wouldn't get one again. Mine is about 17-20 ft. tall (to the top of the fronds). It's a beautiful plant, indeed, but kind of messy, too.

Although Ive got no direct experience with this, I just dont think that it would take the Bay area weather for long. You might get it to grow for a few years, but eventually it would rot. If youre determined, make sure your soil drains really well, reduce its organic content a bit, and plant it in an area where it will get lots of sun, and be protected from the cold. Again, I dont believe it will do well that far north, but I could be wrong.
DD

I bought two TP tiny seedlings a few months ago, put them in 1-gal pots. They are now about 2 ft high, in 3-gal pots, and looking beautiful. I like them better than my two Giant Birds of Paradise.

But all 4 are in pots, to be brought it for the "winter" as we call it here in Texas.

I suppose could try a TP in a pot, following the sun recommendation above, if you can bring it in, but eventually, like mine, it will come to a pre-mature end, either too big for pot/inside, or get caught outside in a cold snap.

In the meantime, wonderful plants ...

I don't really recall ever seeing a TP above zone 10A in FL. We go to Central FL all the time (Tampa/St Pete and Orlando area, which would be zone 9) and I can;t honestly recall seeing any there. I have seen them in Sanibel/Captiva, Miami/Ft Lauderdale, Ft Meyers area but never above that that I can remember.

Even though you consider the Bay Area "mild", for a plant like a TP it would be "cold". Just because it doesn't freeze doesn't mean that it would have enough overall concentrated warmth year round for the plant to thrive and not eventually just stall and decline.

These can be 'iffy' even as far south as San Diego. There are a few around here and in Orange County, but honestly most don't look all that great. The leaves get tattered by wind and damaged by cold, and they don't grow as fast as they should. Perhaps that is why you've never seen one in the bay area.

i agree with the san diego post,i am in culver city CA,and mine do fine,but temps stay above 40
its not our temps,but wet winters,with cool temps
watch them,as in winter rot sets into the new forming leaves,just remove any rot,or cover the center when rain comes
i saw a show once on hgtv,from loma linda,and in the background was a huge[at least 20 feet]example,so they will grow,although slower than floridan areas.
try it,and see,it will i think survive,but grow slow
people are growing heliconias up in your area,and i think this is more hardy,as i know from e mails from friends there,your lows are not the problem,its the lack of summer heat!,but with this plant,it does not matter,as its not flowers you are after

tony LA,give me an e mail,as i would love to talk more about your traveller trees,as we are so close

We live in SD and have a travelers palm that is doing very well. However, we live only about a mile from the ocean which makes a big difference, much milder than most of LA. We discovered them on a recent trip to Kauai while walking through a residential neighborhood in Princeville. We were both stunned by how beautiful and unusual they were. However, they all had the shredded leaves, I think it is a natural phenomenon and would occur wherever you grew one. Ours has grown around 5 feet since July and we love it.

I do know of a few people who are growing this in San Francisco/Oakland, and they can pull through a mild winter as a container plant, but they never look as great as they do with year round warmer weather. The cold wet soil temperatures are not to their liking, and if you are determined to try this locally, place it against a south facing wall, with excellent drainage and sandy rather than heavy clay soil, and best to cover the root area to protect from winter rains, to keep it drier. They have much the same preferences as Coconut palms, although they tolerate cool weather in winter better than Coconuts do.

Unless global warming really changes things around here, you will never seen a Traveller's Palm as a large in ground specimen anywhere here in the SF Bay Area, just abit too wet and cold in winter, and where it is warm enough in summer to suit them, it is also usually too cold in winter for them to be hardy outdoors.

I'd suggest that it would work best if you can grow it as a container plant indoors in winter, outdoors in summer. Not nearly as exotic, but Giant Bird of Paradise is much more reliable for pushing the envelope in Sunset zone 15 conditions, but even this can freeze to the ground in winters at temps that go below 28F for more than a few hours, and is usually showing burnt foliage right at 31F.

Hi
Got one of these with the house in 1979 but it had been destroyed by hurricane David. Sprouted almost immediately and grew and grew and grew lol Had to keep it cut off because of power lines so every time it formed a trunk i made it start over.
Had every bad habit a yard plant can have lol. Especially on a small lot.Was always shredded by the wind,attracted ants ,new sprouts lifted the fence. When it flowered the fan was about 5 feet wide and a jelly like substance oozed from it . Bees and Wasps came by the thousands!! When it soured the flies camelol. Was right at the leaf axil so was impossible to remove without removing the entire tree.
Cut it to ground level and it sprouted within the shadehouse. Had it reoved and was left with a5x5 foot hole which I'm still trying to fill lol. Cost me 400 bucks to have it removed ,6 loads of debris!!
Might be a remarkable plant but not in a 30x30 yard lol.
gary

They must grow in zone 9 because seaworld in orlando has some...If you research them and keep them in the right climate
and keep them happy they will grow !

They also grow in the Melbourne, FL (central Floirda) area, especially out on the beaches where it is a bit milder. They are plentyful here and many of the trees are quite large.

Our new TP (still in its nursery pot) suffered frost damage to the top half of several leaves last week when we had a couple of frosty nights here in Palm Bay, FL. Should I remove the entire stem and leaf, just the leaf,or what? If I remove any part of the stem/leaf, it will leave the plant without the nice flat evenly spaced stem/leaf design that I love. Any resources I could go to to find out what to do? We're new to FL and have a lot to learn to care for the new trees/plants that we now have. Much different care than in Illinois where we came from. BUT they are worth the extra care as they are SOOO beautiful!! I just need to know what that extra care is and which plants will need it. Thanks for any help you can give. It's much appreciated.

If it's not too bad just leave it alone and more than likely it will recover on it's on Cutting a frond will usually take energy from your plant and could be fatal.

The only link i could find on frost damage....

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.ronsympson.com/generic267.html

I live in Tampa Fla. and they are all over the place. I see them from 2 feet tall to 40 feet tall. They just need direct sun and alot of water in well drained soil. They are one of my favorite plants, especially when they have a trunk on them.

Sal, I agree, they are beautiful.. here in Il, Traveler's Palms are NOT hardy, lol, but we visit a conservatory that has a couple, huge specimens. In fact, they were the first and only time I'd ever seen one in person. They're truly amazing, grow odd-shaped, flat leaves.
I just won a baby TP on Ebay, so we'll see what happens. I sowed TP seeds in the late 90's, but it died after 3 years. I had no idea they're related to Bird of Paradise, (stretliza)so I fertilized and treated like I would a palm. Does anyone know if that's the reason it died? Since they're slow-growing, do they require little food? I bought Strelitza fertiizer from Ebay, it's slow-release. Will this fert be sufficient for a baby TP? Thanks, Toni

I agree with most that eventhough SF rarely freezes a TP would not survive the cold wet winters and the cool summers would not provide enough heat. As to sightings, in Eagle Rock a house very close to me has 3 in the front yard which are each about 15 feet high with sturdy trunks. They had dried flower stalks and the owner said they had suckered. They had been smuggled in from Ecuador as seedlings stuck in wine bottles. I also saw one in Westchester off Manchester which was about 10-12 feet tall. Upon comparing, the two I conjectured that the warmer winter temps/high humidity might have something to do with the span of the fan since the 1 in Weschester had a broader fan with larger leaves. I have not gone back to see them since the freeze of '06 since I fear what this might have done to them.

It depends on where you live in the bay area and your exposure. Best scenerio is you live away from right on the bay,south of the Golden Gate by 10 miles to downtown San Jose,and you can then plant it as Bahia said,up against a hot wall or courtyard where heat builds up AND that bay breeze is blocked. Without a doubt you dont want it to be shaded by structures or trees. Would also help to have a stone mulch under it. Stones tends to be warmer and drier.
T.P.,IMO,doesnt have to be as large as the tropics to be a showpiece.Just that unique fan shaped growth of leaves stands out. And if you get any trunk in a decent period,that's just more bonus!
I dont care what others say. The difference in tropicalia growth here in the bay area can be SouCal like in the most favored areas. No frost and mid 70's to near 80 all summer is not what most people think we have.Most think of frigid San Francisco and that blustery wind and dense fog. I havent had a single plant that grows in SouCal easily,not also grow here in the eastbay.Not as large or as fast as in S.C., maybe-but growing. Mangos,Pachypodiums,Ficus like benjamina to petiolaris,even the Bo tree. When we get those once a decade freeze's,spend some time to cover and protect and your plants WILL survive.Not a bad trade off for such a northerly climate and a hour's time throwing blankets on plants once a decade!

You should post your question in the California Forum, you could get locals to chime in with their experiences.

Our state is so complex in microclimates that it really depends on where in the Bay area you live. The mission district in San Francisco is the warmest and it might have a chance there. Hayward or Freemont would be the prime locations where these would be able to thrive. The bay area is a solid z10, but the lack of summer heat is probably going to be the problem unless you live in the warmer areas i mentioned.

You might also want to check out cloudforest.com/cafe

The board is about growing tropicals in cloudforest climates like the bay area. No frosts or freezes, but no summer heat either. There are many knowledgable posters who live in the Bay Area. Best of all, you don't have to regrister to post a question, just go to the bottom of the page.

Here is a link that might be useful: click here to go to cloudforest.com/cafe

I grew them in Hawaii, and I loved them. Dont think they will grow in the bay area

This question is mine as well, only we live in hot dry Escondido in San Diego County. Climate is very unlike the Bay Area - rare frost. How about here?

They are grown in southern cal. Sunset Zones 19-24 with 23,24, being more permanent. If they have a problem, its too wet in winter. That will cause them to rot from what I hear. But plenty of larger Travelers in the warmer more frost free parts of soucal..just less of a fan as in tropical climates. Fast growing too.