Family: Musaceae
Common Name: Abyssinian Banana

Native to tropical Africa and Asia, these plants have large, banana-like leaves and drooping flower bracts. They make outstanding accent or feature plants in large gardens.

Species

E. ventricosum, Abyssinian banana, makes an excellent garden specimen. It grows to 12 m (40 ft) in the wild, but much less in cul­tivation. The pseudostem is generally a purplish colour and the leaves sometimes grow to 5 m (16 ft) long and 1.5 m (5 ft) wide, with a wide central midrib which is bright reddish pink underneath. The white flowers are con­cealed in reddish-bronze bracts. The inflores­cence, which is produced in summer, may be over 1 m (3 ft) in length.

Cultivation

In frost-prone climates, grow in pots or tubs in an intermediate greenhouse. Place or plunge outdoors for summer. Best grown in soil-based potting compost.

Climate

Zone 10.