Common name:
Darjeeling banana

Origin: North-east India, Buthan
(Himalayas up to 2000 meters altitude (6561 ft) )

Foliage: top green, underneath reddish. Up to 1 m 50 (44 ft 11 in) and more resistant to wind than the Musa basjoo leaves.

Fruit: smalle edible bananas but filled with seeds which make them less interesting for consuming.

Exposure: Full sun, partial shade

Growth rate: Fast

Height: 4 meter / 13 feet

Hardiness: -12°C / 10,4°F

Culture:

The Musa sikkimensis is easy to sow. Seeds germinate quickly and there is a high germination rate if the seeds are sufficiently fresh. However, you can easily propagate it by cutting its pups. You should also be able to find this banana in more specialized garden centers.

Care:

Like the Musa basjoo, the Musa sikkimensis grows best in a sunny place in a nutritious but well drained soil. However, the sikkimensis needs higher temperatures than the basjoo to grow. The Musa produces pups through its rhizomes. The plant hole can optionally be limited by a barrier but this isn’t a must as the pups can be cut away without any effort. For good growth it needs a lot of water. On hot, dry days, a daily water gift is definitely no luxury. During the growing season, fertilizers may be added regularly as well.

Winter protection:

The hardiness only concerns the roots. At temperatures below 5° C (41°F) the growth stops. At -2°C (28,4°F) the leaf freezes. With constant frost, the stem, which contains a lot of moisture, will also freeze and be lost. The Musa then dies down to the ground and in spring (April / May), it will shoot from new pups again. However, in order to get a bigger plant and get it to bloom it has to survive the winter. Also see: How to protect your banana plant during winter

Use:

The Musa sikkimensis is especially popular with the enthousiast thanks to its combination of hardiness, beautiful colors and the fact that it can easily be sown as well.

Varieties:

Musa sikkimensis ‘Darjeeling Giant’ – more robust than the sikkimensis
Musa sikkimensis ‘Manipur’ (Red Tiger) – dark striping on the top of the leaves

Common name:
Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelli’, Red false banana

Origin: Eastern edge of the Great African Plateau (high rainfall forests on mountains)

Foliage: banana-like leaf blades of up to 5 m (16 ft) tall by 1 m (3 ft 3 in) wide, on the top varying from green-red/purple and underneath deeply red.

Stem: stout pseudostem

Fruit: white flowers with dry small and non edible bananas (approximately in its 5th year)

Exposure: Full sun, partial shade

Growth rate: Really fast grower

Height: 4 meter / 13 feet

Hardiness: 5°C / 41°F

Culture:

The Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelli’ is only cultivated by tissue culture (in vitro). As a result, they are sold in quite large numbers. They are sometimes even found in the regular garden center. Thanks to this cultivation technique, its price is also very low. When speaking of a “plug” they mean a small seedling. However, due to the high growth rate, such a small seedling grows rapidly into a big plant. The Maurelli can not be sown as it is a natural variation of the regular ventricosum. Seeds will thus only give the green (regular) ventricosum. The chance to obtain a Maurelli this way is only 1 out of 10.000…

This banana doesn’t produce pups in normal circumstances. Only when the main stem is cut down it will produce a lot of pups. These pups can be separated and planted in a container.

Care:

This very fast growing banana is extremely easy in care. Both in pot and in the ground, but is does need enough heat, water and nutrients. Overburden is virtually impossible. The color of the leaves varies from green-vine to purple, depending on the plant’s location. However, the opinions and experiences are divided between whether it is the sun or just the shadow that causes the red color. The Maurelli has a remarkably small root root and can thus remain in a relatively small pot. Because its large leaves catch a lot of wind, however, a larger or heavy pot is highly recommended.

Winter protection:

The Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelli’ is not hardy. Even before the first frost he must be taken inside. The most successful method for this species appears to excavate and keep it completely dry all winter. After pruning all the leaves, the plant must be laid upside down for a while so that all moisture can flow out of the petioles. Afterwards, the plant can be placed in a dry, well-ventilated and frost-free place. No water should be given until spring! In spring, when the temperatures are high enough, the plant can gradually be placed outside again. Only when the Maurelli is growing again,  you can also take up watering as well.

Also see: Hoe bescherm ik mijn bananenplant in de winter?

Use:

Only in Ethiopia is this banana grown for its nutritious tubers. Elsewhere, the Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelli’ is grown mainly for its ornamental value.

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Common name:
Giant white bird of paradise or wild banana

Origin: South Africa

Foliage: 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) long leaves, grey-green and arranged like a fan at the top of the stems

Stem: woody stems

Exposure: Full sun

Growth rate: Fast

Height: to 10 meters / 32 feet 9 inches

Hardiness: -3°C / 26,6°F

Culture: Fresh seeds germinate very well. Thereafter, the Strelitzia nicolai grows quite quickly. It needs a sunny place and plenty of water during the growing season. However, prevent the roots from standing permanently in the water. Furthermore, this easy plant is a perfect eye-catcher in the exotic garden. In a container, it will not exceed the 3 meters (9 ft) of height . As it isn’t hardy you’ll need to take it inside during winter. The watering must be reduced then as well. Transplanting is not necessary until it bursts literally out of its container.

Use: This graceful plant is beautiful in a tall container, for example on the terrace. Through the fan shape, it is quite similar to the even more exclusive Ravenala madagascariensis.

Strelitzia nicolai seedlings

Common name:
Strelitzia, crane flower or bird of paradise, though these names are also collectively applied to other species in the genus Strelitzia

Origin: South Africa

Foliage: grayish, tall, strong leaves and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown

Flower: bright orange and blue. Appear in late winter/early spring

Exposure: Full sun, partial shade

Growth rate: Quite fast

Height: to 2 m / 6.6 ft

Hardiness: 2°C  / 35,6°F

Culture: Fresh seeds germinate very well. Thereafter, the Strelitzia reginae grows quite quickly. It prefers a sunny place and plenty of water during the growing season. However, prevent the roots from standing permanently in the water. Furthermore, this easy plant is a perfect eye-catcher in the exotic garden. It will survive a little bit of brief frost, but it is strongly advisable to have this plant cool during winter. The watering must then also be reduced. This cool period will encourage the plant to produce new flower buds. Those are generally formed after its 4th year. Transplanting is only needed when it literally bursts out of its container. The Strelitzia can not pollinate itself. But as they are often offered planted with multiple subjects in the same container, therefor you can try to pollinate the flowers of the separate plants to obtain seed. Double flowers are a not an abnormality on the Strelitzia.

Use: This graceful plant is beautiful on the terrace. Provide enough space as it can also be about a meter wide. Also, the flowers are widely used in flower arrangements.

Strelitzia reginae seeds

Strelitzia reginae wallpaper:

1024×768 – 1280×800

New leaf

Flower bud

Common name:
Japanese banana, hardy banana

Origin: southern China
(Himalayas up to 3000 meter (9842 ft) altitude)

Foliage: mid-green leaves growing up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long

Fruit: small not edible bananas

Exposure: Full sun, partial shade

Growth rate: Fast

Height: 5 meter / 16 feet

Hardiness: -12°C / 10°F 

Culture:

As it is sterile, no seeds can be obtained from the Musa basjoo. However, you can easily propagate it by cutting the pups. Check out the article: “Banana plant multiplication” In addition, this popular banana is also sold in most garden centers.

Care:

The Musa basjoo grows best in full sun on a nutritious but well drained soil. He is best protected from the wind so that the leaves aren’t torned up by the wind. The Musa produces pups through its rhizomes. The used space can optionally be limited by using a rhizome barrier in the plant hole but as the rhizomes aren’t that though this isn’t necessary by all means. For good growth its needs a lot (!) of water. On hot, dry days, a daily water gift is definitely no luxury. During the growth season, you may regularly add a fertilizer as well.

Winter protection:

The hardiness only concerns the roots. At temperatures below 5° C (41°F) the growth stops. At -2°C (28,4°F) the leaf freezes. With constant frost, the stem, which contains a lot of moisture, will also freeze and be lost. The Musa then dies down to the ground and in spring (April / May), it will shoot from new pups again. However, in order to get a bigger plant and get it to bloom it has to survive the winter. Also see: How to protect your banana plant during winter

Use:

The Musa basjoo is widely grown on the Ryukyu islands in Japan for its fibers, hence the Dutch name “fibre banana”. In the meanwhile, it has become very popular in Western European gardens because of their hardiness, fast growth and easy care. A Musa gives no doubt a tropical look to the garden.