Scientific Name:
Musa
sp.
Pronunciation:
MEW-zuh
Common Name:
banana
Family Name:
Musaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Indoor foliage plant
Key ID Features:
The largest herbaceous perennial plant; leaves alternate, elliptic, often over 1m long x 30cm wide (even larger in the tropics), major veins running parallel off the midrib.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Very coarse
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Origin:
South Asia / India
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. The local hardy banana is M. basjoo. Compare to the common grocery store banana (M. acuminata x M. balbisiana) and the Abyssinian banana.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Spiraled
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Green, Some cvs. with purple splotches.
Shapes:
Elliptic
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
Huge; leaf sheaths form false stems.
Inflorescence Type:
Spike
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
6
Corolla Shape:
Bilabiate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow, Purple, Pink
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Berry (true), Aborted (hybrids) or absent
Fruit Colour:
Yellow
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Showy, Technically a false berry (inferior ovary): the thick skin formed from the floral tube
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Corms, Rhizomes
Propagation:
Division - below ground parts
Optimal Temp.:
High
Light Level:
Medium
Maintenance:
Medium
Other:
Wrap outdoor plants with burlap each fall or allow it regrow from the roots in spring
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot, Mites
