Banana (Musa) – Architectural Foliage Plant (3L Pot, 100 to 120cm Tall)

A young banana with big paddle shaped leaves and red toned stems, grown for bold tropical foliage.

Supplied at roughly 100 to 120cm tall in a 3 litre pot, the broad green leaves rise from a sturdy, trunk like stem and give an instant tropical look. It grows quickly through the warm months and is equally at home in a bright room or conservatory and stood outside on a patio for the summer. A pot can be chosen with it: the planter is a pot only and changes nothing about the plant.

Bananas are herbaceous perennials rather than true trees, and here they are grown for the foliage. Fruit needs far more heat and a longer season than a British summer gives. Keep it warm, bright and sheltered, water and feed generously while it is in growth, and move it somewhere bright and frost free before winter. The big leaves shred in wind and scorch in dry indoor heat, so keep it out of draughts and away from a radiator.

Musa basjoo is much tougher than other kinds and is sometimes overwintered outdoors under a thick wrap, so check which species you have before treating any banana as hardy.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Banana
• Supplied Size: 3 litre pot, approximately 100 to 120cm tall
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: Approximately 2.5 to 4m x 1.5 to 4m, depending on type and conditions
• Growth Habit: Upright, architectural and fast growing
• Perfect For: Bright rooms, conservatories, patios and containers
• Foliage: Large green paddle shaped leaves with red toned stems and midribs
• Flowering Time: Rarely flowers in this country; grown for its foliage
• Planting Position: Bright light indoors or full sun outdoors, in a container
• Soil Type: Fertile, moist but free draining compost
• Hardiness: Frost tender. Move under cover and keep frost free through winter
• Maintenance: Feed regularly in spring and summer and remove old or damaged leaves
• Seasonal Interest: Spring, summer and autumn
• Type: Tropical herbaceous perennial