Question
I have two banana leaf "trees" that are planted in the ground on the west side of my house in Los Angeles, CA.  (These are not, as far as I can tell, fruit bearing trees.)  They are shaded by a camphor tree in the afternoons, though they do get a bit of direct sunlight, too.  When I moved in, these trees were probably about 10 feet tall at their perkiest.  Addressing an issue with some leaf rot, I ultimately cut back on the watering schedule at the advice of a local nursery.  They also lost some height during a few storms and began growing back nicely.  However, after seeing them do well for almost three years, they suddenly appear to be shrinking rapidly.  One of the trees is literally half the size it used to be.  The main stalk is half the diameter and though there are still usually six healthy leaves at any given time, the plant continues to grow shorter and thinner.  What can I do?

Answer
Hi Jeffrey,  I assume your banana leaf tree is a banana plant.  You may have had an over water problem years ago, but since then your camphor tree has grown.  Two things a banana plant loves is water and sun.  Little sun will make it spindly, not enough water will make it not grow. And a camphor tree is a water sucking monster that should not be planted in yards as they suck up all the water of plants around them.   kathy