Central Florida Farms
.Aquascape | Rare Palms | Rare Tropicals | Fruit Trees | House Plants | Aquarium | Giant Elephant Ear Plants | Banana Plants
Adding Life to Yours!
Musa Banana Plants!
and other ornamental Banana Plants
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Musacae Cultivars
Photo Above:
Ensete Abyssinian Ventricosum - non-musa variety
Our Banana Trees are grown in zone 8a-8b. Many people have called them banana trees but they are really a biennial herbaceous plant. This means that after 2 years, the plant produces fruit, then dies. But don't be discouraged. The edible musa varieties produce pups (or offsets, new plants) to keep the lineage going. So after a few months of healthy growing in the ground or large container they should give you pups to replace the mother plants when they fruit. Our Sikkimensis and Ensete varieties (except for E. maurelii) have been germinated from seeds, some musa varieties are pups from previously established banana plant trees, most of the dessert (sweet edibles) are tissue cultures ready to be in your home or garden and are NON-GMO. Banana trees are able to grow all year long provided with a warm climate. Some are able to live in cold areas (Musa basjoo & Musa Sikkimensis) to Zone 3! While all bananas are bitten by frost, most will usually grow back the following spring like it never happened when left in the ground and protected by a good mulch covering. There are many folks who dig up the corm (the established roots) and store them in their basement for the winter, keeping the corm totally dry. if you leave them in the ground for the winter and it is a wet, slow draining area, you risk a chance of loss from root rot and is better (a little more work but worth it) to dig them up and store in a cool dry place. Believe me, they ARE hardy and will usually not die. Maybe a slight misting once a month to make sure they are getting a small amount moisture would be ok. There is a way to get your Musa Banana plants to fruit even if you live in a shorter growing climate. If you are growing them for the fruit benefits, please see our banana care growing tips guide page and if you still have questions, please email us for help.
They will grow again when replanted and the weather is warm and resume where they left off. Bananas are very hardy herbaceous plants that when taken care of can live for many years in just about every area of USA once they have become established in your situation. If they fruit, they will die leaving behind multiple babies to replace the original mother plant. If you wish for it to live longer than 2 years, remove the blooms as soon as you see them emerging. I have even read personal reports of folks digging them up and leaving them intact (5-8ft tall), trimming the feeder roots and leaves of course and bringing them back out in the spring to grow right where they left off the season before. If this is practiced they should be kept in a controlled cool and dry environment. They begin their growth in the early spring (or when your climate has stabilized above 60º and usually grow until the first frost. There are 100's of different banana species and we only have a few favorites for you right here! Pups are easier grown and grow faster than tissue cultured plants and are stronger plants overall to begin a season with. Some of what we have are pups, if so, it is noted in the description.
It is a good idea to keep your banana trees pruned of the dead leaves and placed either crushed or pre-tilled into the soil as a mulch around the base of your banana plants. Even though the lower yellowing leaves are not pretty, they should be left on the plants until they are almost brown or fully dead. The banana plant will use the nutrients (potassium) from the dying leaves and nourish your plants' health that much more. This is also true for Palm Trees. The dried out dead leaves will finally fall to the side of the stalk and should certainly be removed then because if left where they lay, they provide nesting for a wide host of wasps and other insects which most people don't want around their environment. We ship our banana trees with the outer leaves culled, bare root (root pruned), and moist but not wet. If the banana tree plant we ship is small enough, we will leave the leaves on, but if they are going to be broken during shipping, it is better to cull the leaves and allow the new ones to sprout on their own. Bruises on plants are not good for them. Many growing experts explain that it is better to trim the outer leaves off (down to the newest one emerging) for replanting/transplanting to help keep the banana tree in a stable 'mind frame' and faster re-establishment. The leaves will begin growing again (actually should not even stop during the normal growing season) throughout shipping and should sprout new ones within two weeks of your planting (probably sooner).
When properly kept and fed, they should reward the grower with at LEAST one new leaf per week once they are established in their new home. Bananas are easily grown in large containers and some are even great for your patio or indoors with adequate light. One dessert Musa variety we have available from time to time is called the Dwarf nam-wah 'Pearl' is a perfect indoor (or better yet, as a patio plant) banana plant due to its need for bright indirect sunlight. Full sun of any amount will burn the leaves. Direct sunlight can and will cause this particular plant's leaves to burn quickly. Some banana plants are grown for ornamental purposes while others produce a delicious fruit you can eat out of the hand or cooked to your liking. Plantains are mainly a cooking banana that are enjoyed by many people from around the world. The Musa variety banana plants produce "pups" or "sports" (baby banana plants) after the first year and clump to form larger corms. If you dare and have patience, cut a mother Musa down to about 1 foot from the ground. This will force the plant into survival mode and produce a few fast growing offsets ready to produce much more fruit in the future than just one.
Bananas are fast growers and besides being fun to watch grow, they add an instant tropical look where ever planted! We have a growing guide with more growing tips and instructions to help you with your banana gardening that is available via this link here: Banana Growing Care Tips Facts Help Sheet. Growing bananas from a healthy larger rhizome (root stock) is the best way to ensure the fastest growth rate and a much sooner harvest. But you have to begin somewhere. So buying a small baby banana plant is a good place if larger corms are not available. The ones sold as pups are from the mother plants. If you would prefer a large root stock banana tree, when available we will provide an order button. We have a few cavendish pups as well and hopefully will shortly have a few other favorites available as offsets (pups) as well. Thank you for your time and happy growing!
More Banana Care Growing & Cultivation Information
The Musa Siam Ruby All Red Leaf Banana! - Grows 10-15 feet Tall. Wow, can this be real? Yes! This is a newly introduced Musa Banana cultivar that I am told was found in Thailand a couple years ago by a very enthusiastic member of the plant community. It was the only plant in the little town and fetched a great price originally. It was submitted for tissue culture after a couple pups sprung out to ensure the existence incase of a failure in the lab. After a VERY long & worthwhile wait, it's now finally available for all to share in its rich red leaves with hues of red, yellow, bright green and whitish striped midribs. The pseudostem and leaves are red and remain this color as it reaches maturity and bears edible fruit. It does like heat and sunshine, the more light, the deeper the red. The baby plants begin as bright yellow green and once they begin to grow out past 12+" or so (and the more sun they receive) they will begin to turn into their unique red color. They are already showing signs of red streaks on the leaves. As little was known and due to the place of origin and the short finding time we treated this as a non-cold tolerant musa variety to be enjoyed for its vivid addition to gardens around the world.
As of February 2009, we found out that most DID survive 24ºF although they seem to lose vigor in temperatures below 38º. The ones that were not harmed were planted in the ground. A few that were in containers also survived and we lost a few smaller ones that were in containers. I always (when possible) leave some test plants out for the winter just to find out for sure. I was correct in guessing that they would probably survive the same cold temps as other Musa varieties at least at the corm level. I still do not know about the fruit of this awesome red leafed banana plant, but I am told it is a seedless edible and considered as a dessert banana. If it is not, it would not really bother me much because of the stunning contrast it adds. If it does bare fruit, that'll just be an added bonus! I'm willing to bet that the bloom will be beautiful! Can't wait to find out myself. Available right Now!
Musa Dwarf Red Dessert Banana - Zones 8 Cold Hardy! Grows 6-8 ft Tall - Highly Ornamental & Edible - The Dwarf Red banana plant is known for its delicious dark red skinned and medium-smallish sized fruit. Only occasionally found in our area and the bunches gone rapidly when they are available. The pseudostems (trunks) are very decorated in red and pinkish hues and as you can see by the photo below, the fruit is deep burgundy color and should be as dark as possible before eating for best flavor. The flesh is cream colored and takes longer than most cultivars to ripen. Being as cold hardy, they can be protected to produce even in colder climates if dug up and stored properly (see our banana care page).
Musa Red Iholene Dessert Banana - Zones 8-10 - Cold Hardy and another an outstanding Edible and Highly ornamental banana with bright pink markings on the pseudostems, fruit bracts and the leaves are burgundy colored underneath with the young leaves showing the cavendish red splotches until they older. I really cant rave enough about the beauty of this Hawaiian cultivar! Grows to heights of 12-14 feet tall and produces some of the most sweetest edible fruit you've ever tasted! The taste compares in flavor ranking to the ladyfinger and the plant itself is even more pretty! These are like all bananas and are very fast growing but are one of the fastest maturing banana cultivars out there. In early days, this plant was only allowed to be grown and eaten by royalty. Good thing were past those times now. Can be grown in a container or placed directly in the ground. Best results for fruit are planted in the ground rather than in a container. This one ranks in beauty in the top 4 in my opinion. No landscape should be without! As you can probably read, it is one of my favorites!
Lady Finger Banana - Hardy to zone 8- 10 - Cold hardy to 15°F, Wind Tolerant. Baby Bananas! Ours survived this winter's insane (near copy of 20 years ago when many of the citrus groves were frozen out of business) here in Florida zone (8b/9). We had 14 hours solid of varying temps between 17-24ºF. They also survived our 2002 very cold winter where the temps dropped from 11-13 degrees for four nights straight and the daily highs were in the 40's. The cold temps were not as cold for as long as this year. The leaves were lost of course, but they readily sprang fourth when the weather warmed. Some didn't lose their leaves that were protected under the oak hammock. Very cold hardy from Samoa, this Ladyfinger produces a delicious, seedless, small sweet plump fruit. This is the one that your local grocer has when they have them called Baby Bananas. "Pups" should grow after the first year and each pup will produce fruit. Each hand should produce about 40 + bananas when properly cared for. Height to 15' tall with wide dark green leaves outlined in red trim. They are used in desserts around the Pacific and where ever else known and grown. Try them! you wont be able to eat just one! These are hardly available in grocery stores in our area. Leaves should grow during the summer months at a rate of one leaf per week in optimal conditions. This cultivar is a variety that dates back to the Balbisiana hybrids.
One of THE MOST excellent tasting Dessert Bananas on earth!
Musa 'Kanderian' Cooking Banana - Giant African Banana - Cold Hardy, Wind tolerant, Excellent fruit! - There is not much information about these except that some say they produce exceptionally sweet tasting and full size large edible seedless fruit! Others say it is a cooking banana with small fruit. So I am not sure what it is until it fruits for us. One report clearly states that it has been experimented with and has been deemed cold hardy to zone 8 in Georgia temperatures. Other information I have on these is that they may not be in production much longer for the industry and these are one of the few final Kanderian plantings available. Get them while you are able!
Musa Popoulu Banana Plantain - Zones 8-10 Grows 10-12 ft - (AAB Variety) The Popoulu (a Hawaiian plantain) is a Polynesian cooking banana that grows with a slender 'trunk' giving a graceful appearance. Better than that, the fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and said to be excellent either choice. The fruit is unique growing about 11 inches long and 3 inches or wider in diameter, very fat bananas! The salmon pink colored fruit is smooth textured and has no fiber which is pleasant to the palette. Along with its sub acidic flavor resembling an apple, this certainly makes one very cool edible banana! It grows fast to heights of about 12 feet making it a landscape tropical beauty. Some have said that is the same plant as the Hua Moa banana variety while other reports say that Hua Moa bears less fruit and are larger than Popoulu. Either way, removal the stalk before it ripens is recommended so the fruit does not split as it ripens to yellow. Banana plants can easily be dug up and stored dry in a cool place to over winter until spring. This way, it will not know that it went dormant and can pick up growing where it left off to produce fruit for you. Shipping Mid April or now as corms.
Musa Saba - Zone 8 Cold Hardy, Wind Resistant! Grows to 27 feet Tall! Another colder hardy edible cooking Musa banana plant from the Philippines. The locals eat this as a staple in their diet. This musa plant grows to 27 feet and is extremely wind resistant. the trunks are said to grow in girth to about 18 inches, now that's thick! This is one of the tallest banana plants, there are a small few others that get this tall. This giant banana plant is actually one that could be considered a tree instead of a herbaceous plant being so large and producing much shade with its wide upper leaf span. These would add a great landmark for your community being that they wont be able to be missed from 5 blocks away. It certainly will be easy for guests to find your home. Get them while they can still be packed in a box! Don't ask me how you're supposed to get the fruit from the plant. a tall ladder maybe?
Musa Double (Mahoi) Dessert Banana - Cold Hardy, Wind Resistant! Height - 7-8 Feet - Sweet Fruit yielding banana plant that when first produces will yield one banana bunch of fruit. The second year of growth will send out TWO large bunches of sweet, dessert tasting fruit! It has even been reported to send out a third fruit bunch on the following season after the double fruit bunch! Give some to your neighbors! They grow to heights of about 7-8 feet tall making this a very easy to manage and collect your fruit! Two to three Fruit Producing Stalks of Sweet Dessert tasting fruit! Awesome!
Musa Thousand Fingers Dessert Banana - Zones 8 and up. VERY Cold - Winter Hardy & Wind Tolerant! a now truly RARE Musa Banana Plant - Now here we go! How do we know about the cold hardiness of this banana plant? Well, after 3 nights of temperature hovering around 24º (the first night was for 12-14 HOURS straight), they actually were the first bananas to come back. THEN we had another 2 nights of temps just under freezing which knocked out the fresh leaves that were emerging from the first freeze. Again, they are still standing and pushing new leaves! I really was amazed since these are growing in ground, directly out in the open with zero protection from frost or anything. This is one banana plant who can resist? It fruits so many 2 inch long bananas no one can even count them! They are excellent, sweet tasting fruits that are good for you. The plants are green growing to heights of about 12 feet tall. The fruit stems that hold the tiny bananas can be as long as eight feet long holding a thousand tiny snacks! When they ripen, if you don't eat them all, share with your friends. You know that anyone who sees this fruit live on the banana plant will just be amazed as I am. This is just another amazing plant that grows naturally and is full of wonder and nutrition AND adds a tropical look to your landscape. What can you lose? Excellent Dessert Banana! A true RARE garden Delight! Very Limited.
Musa Rajapuri Dessert - Zones 8-10 (AAB Dessert Variety)- Cold Hardy & Wind Tolerant, Sweet fruit! It's no wonder why this plant has gained such popularity since it was introduced. Short in stature this banana makes a perfect sized landscape Banana plant that comes with the bonus of producing soft, sweet, edible seedless fruit. The leaves come in extra wide growing up to an incredible three feet! Being that it is relatively short (compared to most Musa varieties), its pseudostem is very thick which also helps in its support in heavy wind conditions. This one has even been recorded to withstand violent storms. Florida is known for the daily violent storms and this one matches the hardiness of the Orinoco and dwarf Orinoco but better tasting. This banana originates from India and is prized for its great flavor, but the chances of seeing these in your local grocery are slim to none. The seedless, edible fruit are medium sized about six inches long. They are said to be delicious and sweet when picked right from the hand. The bunches yield about 20-23 pounds from 6-9 hands when good care is practiced. Rajapuri banana tree is a fully green plant with pseudostems and leaves having no red markings as other musa varieties do. The fruit is said to ripen very quickly after picking from the tree. The fruit is also unique with its orange color and smooth textured sweet flesh wrapped up in a thick skin that turns yellow when ripe. Many enjoy these as a fried treat.
The Rajapuri is a very easy banana and is not choosy about its soil and will produce fruit in shade or full sun. If you have an area of your landscape where not much seems to grow, this one will hopefully fit and should do well enough to bear fruit quickly. It is disease and pest resistant to nematodes and is said to even be able to handle frosts without any frost bite to the leaves. This is one of the cold hardiest, edible fruit bearing bananas that is known.
Musa Cardaba- Zone 8 Cold Hardy Cooking! NEW! Another colder hardy edible Musa banana plant with very unique looking fruit. The photo is not the greatest but still reveals the variety very well. The fruit is meant for cooking and are blue green in appearance with very white edible flesh. As you can see, they are rounded oval. Originating from Thailand, the plants grow to about 14 feet tall and is thought to be a cultivar of the Saba banana plant. Villagers from Thailand treasure this as a regular local dish.
FHIA Sweetheart Banana Plant - Zones 8-11 - RARE Unique Dessert Fruit, grows 10-12 ft tall making it a nice size for around the house. Your diligent care will reward you with one of the best tasting natural fruits and a beautiful tropical plant. The unusual fruit as you can see by the picture are one of a kind! Not only are they a delicious dessert type banana but you'll be in awe of the formation of the fruit! The 'fused' fruit has a hint of vanilla adding another nostalgic quality and can be separated when mature. These Musa plants are sure to bring you great joy, rewarding you with very fast growth and edible fruit. The tops of leaves are a lush green while the underside & pseudostem has a whitish with hints of pink powdery coating on it. If you don't have this one, then it will make a great addition. We are told that these are out of production, so get them while they are available! Limited
Musa Mysore Dessert Banana - Zones 8-10. Cold Hardy & Wind Resistant! Delicious taste! These are another great tasting thin skinned short dessert banana. The ‘Mysore' grows to about 16 ft max with beautiful foliage and sweet, thin skinned fruit. It is among the best tasting bananas that you can grow or buy for that matter. Chances are, you wont find their fruit at your local market. The leaves are green with a reddish midrib and pinkish underside as seen in photo below. No doubt it will be at least 7-9 ft tall in a couple months, even after transplanting and should fruit next season depending on where you live. The warmer, the sooner. this plant has a nice thickening, reddish pseudostem already and the leaves are looking wonderful! Its ready for your home's environment. These bananas are also found in the AAB cultivar. Very unique being an ornamental AND an Excellent Dessert Banana! Limited When available.
More Soon! 0.00 each Musa Mysore Sweet tasting dessert Banana Plant
FHIA 23 Gros Michel - Wind Tolerant - Zone 8b/9 - 11 This one has been produced to be more resistant to panama and other banana diseases. It is a cultivar of the Gros Michel. The Gros Michel was the main banana introduced into world wide homes as a staple grocery until the panama disease wrecked havoc on the banana industry. The fruits can be cooked or eaten raw as a dessert. If you're looking for that true banana flavor, this is the one you want. Plants reach heights of 12-14 feet and put out a full size delicacy. As with most bananas, these will endure the cold if the corm is protected with mulch or stored indoors for the cold season out of its normal zone.
$0.00 ea Starter plant 7-10" tall - shipped bare root. Sold Out
Manzano Apple Banana - Zones 8-10 Cold Hardy & Wind Tolerant - Another great flavored, sweet tasting, seedless banana that is like a cross between an apple and a very sweet banana. They are not grown in large commercial quantities so the chances of buying these from your local grocers are slim to none. The fruit must be allowed to ripen fully before eaten and is worth the wait. The leaves display some red markings when the leaves are young. They are very cold hardy plants that can take mild freezes with protection and like all tropicals should be protected from the frost. The mature height of this musa edible banana is 12-14 feet tall.
Musa "KRU" Dessert Banana - THE SUNSET BANANA! Zones 9-10. Wind Tolerant! The ‘Kru’ or Sunset banana is a somewhat rare banana in the United States and in the past had been only occasionally found in private collections. The plant is fast growing and of a moderate mature height growing to about 10-12 feet. It is somewhat slender and cold sensitive. The pseudostem is very pink and the red fruit has angular edges and little curvature. The taste is delicious. Very rare tropical addition to your homescape! An edible sweet fruit producing plant that is enjoyed for its ornamental quality as well. The fruit changes from green to red with deep hues of yellow / orange colors in between giving it it's nickname and place among the favorites with collectors. In recent past (even in mid 2004) these were going for about $50.00 each IF you could even find them. Get them now at an affordable price! Click picture to enlarge. Excellent Dessert Banana!
Musa "Kofi" Dessert Banana - Zones 9 and up. Grows to 8 Feet max! RARE - Now out of Production. Not as cold tolerant as some bananas but these great tasting bananas originate from Papau New Guinea. This is another one of the best banana trees to grow if you want great tasting dessert type bananas with not mush space needed! The trees only grow to about 7-8 feet tall, but the fruit produced is about 8-9 hands each season of 5-6" sweet edible yellow fruit. The trees are known to produce multiple trees once established with strong fleshed bananas. The flower is cream with an orange tip. They have a low susceptibility to yellow Sigatoka disease. Great to set on your patio in a container or in your yard. Can be grown indoors with adequate lighting. Leaves and plants are dark green. Very tropical addition to your homescape! Excellent Dessert Banana! - Limited
Musa "Ice Cream" Dessert Banana - Zones 8-10. More Colder Tolerant, Wind resistant, SWEETER FRUIT than most banana cultivars. The Blue Java dessert producing banana will give many small bluish colored skinned bananas and produce offsets once established. When I say cold tolerant, I mean that they will not die in periods of short freezes but like all tropicals, will die down for the winter. They grow to heights of about 15 feet! Fast growing and can produce your first fruits in the first growing seasons if you live in a warm enough climate and have planted them early. If you plant them now, you should have a decent sized corm to over winter for next years harvest! They have a strong root system and are wind resistant on top of its other great qualities! you cant go wrong here if you're looking for great tasting bananas that are easy to grow! Also known as "Blue Java". the leaves are a silver green color and the medium sized (about 5-6") fruit has a snow white, soft flesh that is deemed one of the best tasting bananas that is in cultivation today with an overall vanilla-ish taste! - A Must have! Excellent Dessert Banana!
Praying Hands Banana Plant - Zones 8-9 - Most Unique fruit, with the plants growing 10-12 ft tall making it a nice size for around the house. The unusual fruit as you can see by the pictures are one of a kind! Not only are they a delicious dessert type banana but you'll be in awe of the formation of the fruit! The 'fused' fruit has a hint of vanilla adding another nostalgic quality and can be easily separated when mature. These Musa plants are sure to bring you great joy, rewarding you with very fast growth and edible fruit.
Sold $0.00 ea Praying Hands Banana Plant Aprox: inches" tall. 1 Gallon -
Musa "Misi Luki" Dessert Banana - Zones 8 and up. Cold Hardy, Disease Resistant! Cold Hardy and easy to grow. This is another one of the best banana trees to grow if you want great tasting desert type bananas with not much space needed! The 'trees' only grow to about 10-12 feet tall and bear many hands of creamy WHITE skinned 4" sweet edible fruit each season. The trees are known to produce multiple trees once established. Very tropical addition to your homescape! One of the most Excellent Dessert Banana!
Musa Dwarf Orinoco Dessert Banana - Zones 7b and up. Cold Hardy, Wind Tolerant! These are another great tasting dessert banana. The ‘Dwarf Orinoco' is a small vigorous plant that is solid green and has a thick stem. It is a heavy bearer of thick skinned fruit of very good eating quality. There is very little curvature to the fruit and the fruit can ripen on the plant without splitting. The plant is hardy and withstands cold temperatures and wind, but must be supported when carrying large heads of fruit. They grow to heights of only 5-8 feet tall, now THAT'S a dwarf! Very tropical addition to your homescape! Excellent Dessert Banana!
FHIA-1 "Goldfinger" Banana - Zones 8-9 - Large fruit, Disease, cold and Wind tolerant! The FHIA series are bananas that come from Honduras breeding program to eliminate Black and Yellow Sigatoka disease. These bananas have a great potential for commercial consumption as they taste and look very similar to the Chiquita bananas found in every grocery store in America. Great strong banana flavored and large bananas being produced along with the normal fast growth of bananas, these would make an excellent addition to your garden or fruit tree collection! The pseudostem and base are very strong like the ladyfinger and makes it more wind tolerant than some other varieties. These are in great demand! Don't miss out! Delicious, large size fruit!
Sold Out $0.00 Ea Musa Goldfinger starter Banana plant 6-8" tall
Musa Dwarf Cavendish Musa acuminata - Zones 8 and up. Most are familiar with this one. This is one of the best banana trees to grow if you don't have much space. They top out at 6-8 ft tall and produce 5-6" sweet edible yellow fruit. Great to set on your patio in a container or in your yard. Can be grown indoors with adequate lighting. Leaves are dark green with dark red spots on them until they grow a few feet tall making it a wonderful ornamental until it outgrows this stage of its life (which can be fast). Very tropical addition to your homescape! the fruits are regular sized and very good tasting. Most edible bananas are a form of this cultivar.
Sold
Musa Little Prince - New 2006! Ornamental / Dwarf Extreme! - Zones 8-10 - A sport of the 'Novak' cavendish, this little gem was tissue cultured for preservation and to allow it to be enjoyed by the multitudes of plant lovers. A very different "banana" plant in that it is extremely dwarfed. I won't say that it will bear fruit for you although if you do your best you may accomplish this. It is best suited as an ornamental and just a very cool looking 'bonsai' musa plant. The leaves are spotted in deep maroon red over the normal green when given good sun and the plant's max height is 2 feet tall. The leaves are compact and short emitting a stiff, unique appearance. There are a million ways to landscape with plant since it can grow in full sun and does well to 60% shade. In shade of course the red spots on the leaves will be faded or not present. Can be grown in a container indefinitely to make portable and brought indoors for winter days or placed as a foreground piece in front of some taller plants. It wont be hard to find the taller plants. I think I'm going to try it as a miniature display piece near the edge a small pond with some small alocasia plants around it. You wont get much shade and most likely wont be able to enjoy any fruit from this one, but the applications are limitless. In my opinion, it a very eye appealing novelty plant. They seem to be a little slower growing than a larger musa but still will push out one leaf a week once it gets established.
Since it is new to CFF I don't have any good pictures yet, but will present photos as the plants mature. Just think of it as a true dwarf, miniature "super-super" dwarfed cavendish with short, wide (in proportion to height), rippled leaves on top of a short, thick pseudostem and you'll get the picture. I placed a photo below (as a reference until a get a better one) of another weird musa I acquired from a friend about 4 years ago thinking it was a regular cavendish. The plants in the photo are about 2 years old and less than 2 ft tall and I've tried everything to get them to grow larger and they just will not do it, mom or pups. The only difference (I am told) in this one and the Little Prince is that the leaves in the plant pictured are not as rippled on the edges, the legendary cavendish red markings are less definitive than on the ones pictured and I am told that the Little Prince gets about 6" taller. The ones pictured are grown in shade. I have kept one on the patio and it never wilts, gets too large or shows any signs of stress. It really makes a wonderful small potted plant for indoor or outdoor placing.
Musa Ornata "Milky Way" Ornamental Banana - New 2008 -Zones 9-10. A rare musa that may not be in main tissue culture production for much longer if it even is. These tropical plants grow to about 8 feet tall and produce a pure white bloom that is sure to catch the eye of all who look in that direction. The fruit is tiny and not considered edible. We don't need to eat all the musa fruits do we? Some were meant to just be looked at and admire and this is one of those that will ad a very clean look to your atmosphere. I do not know the cold hardy status since this is the first year we have grown them and only got them at the end of winter weather. They do seem to grow faster than other musas we have for some reason. The blooms of this Ornata are not as large as the traditional musa varieties but are known for their extreme beauty in Hawaii and other places of serenity. These plants use the same care as other musa banana plants, meaning they are very easy. I apologize for the lack of photos. If anyone has a quality. large photo that we can use on our site of this awesome plant in bloom, we'd like to trade one of these live beauties for the photo. Until then, picture a Musa Ornata bloom in all white, gracefully sitting in the midst of a deep green forest of tropical leaves. Thank you for looking.
MUSA White Iholene Dessert Banana - Zones 9-10 - Orange-Yellow full sized fruit is sweet like making this another excellent dessert banana! White Iholene is a beautiful banana tree that matures to a medium size of 14 to 16 feet that is light green in color with waxy flakes of excess chitin that give it a whitish look. Undersides of leaves are light maroon similar to the Red Iholene or Iholena. The inflorescence is a carnival of colors when in fruit and one of the most spectacular of all in respect of ornamentals. The newly emerged bananas are light yellow. When the fruit matures it darkens to a light orange color with pulp the same color. The fruit can be eaten out of hand or cooked. The plant is more cold sensitive than most other bananas, so will need more attention in zones colder than 9. Sold Out
Ornamental Banana Plants!
Ensete
Ensete species is a variety of banana like plants with large pseudostems and leaves that range in dimension and beautiful leaf attributes. All known varieties are large plants. The plants originate from Africa and Asia and are slow to flower and do not sucker or make pups, propagation is via seeds or tissue culture. Once they bloom, the plant dies leaving you with a multitude of hard shelled large seeds. Seeds can take up to 4 years to germinate and usually germinate when the weather gets above 90 for a few days straight. Soaking the seeds does nothing to help when germinating in my experience.
Ensete "Maurelli" Ventricosum - "Red Abyssinian Banana" Wow this is probably one of the most sought after Ensete varieties known today! Its imposing stature and deep maroon red/green variegation make it hard to miss in any landscape. Some plants can attain an almost all deep red set of leaves. This plant is a seed sport from ensete ventricosum and so gets as large as ventricosum but with added color. You might get one of these out of every 3000 seeds, if you're lucky. They do not sucker as with a musa variety so seeds and tissue culture are the only means of propagation. Some large plants have been displayed to have some yellow and even white variegation in the leaves but most will retain their place with the deep red contrast as seen here. Very easy to grow and rapid to get to a large size in any climate. It is somewhat cold hardy and as the ventricosum can stand light freezes and live but like all tropicals, will get melted to the ground. Cover with frost cloth to protect it and mulch very well and you can enjoy this colorful monster up to zone 7b/8! Now don't you want one of these in display in your world? This photo reveals the one of the most red sports, normally they do not this full of a color but always have that chance!
Snow Banana (Ensete Glaucum) - Hardy to zone 7-11 - Also called Musa Nepalensis and Elephant hip Banana due to its inflorescence and appearance (see pic below). No need to take a chance on unviable seeds (many are), we have done the work for you. high mountainous regions of China and Nepal up to 1,100 m and in southern China to 2,700 m above sea level. It grows to 25' and produces a massive pendant white flower head. Many fruits develop within the flower head, filled with black marble size hard seeds. The pseudostem (trunk) and the leaves are covered with a grey-green wax, with a coloration that appears "bluish" hence the name Glaucum. Fast growing, so these require lots of moisture and fertilizer but don't blend fertilizer with seedlings, wait until a new leaf is produced and then follow guidelines in care sheet. If left to a moderate freeze, I have had many come back the following growing season and start where they left off growing when having a small corm. These are all seed grown, not tissue culture.
$0.00 each 10-12" Ensete glaucum Snow Banana plant seed grown. Available SHORTLY
Ensete Superbum (Thai) - Hardy to zone 7-11 - No common name known. No need to take a chance on unviable seeds (many are), we have done the work for you. high mountainous regions of China and Nepal up to 1,100 m and in southern China to 2,700 m above sea level. It grows to 20' and produces a massive base and red flower head with broad leaves outlined in deep red and deep red midrib. These awesome looking plants are still very rare with only a few collectors and large gardens possessing them. They are very cold hardy and if left to a moderate freeze, they always come back the following growing season and start where they left off growing when having a small corm going into the cold. These are all seed grown, not tissue culture.
Available SHORTLY $0.00 each 10" seedling. Very Limited! Ensete Superbum Thai Plant
Abyssinian Banana (Ensete ventricosum) - Zones 8, 9 - 10. Very hardy and very fast growing ornamental banana. Has been known to grow 12' in one year! Has huge dark red ribbed leaves that span the tree about 20-25 ft in diameter and grow to 20 feet tall. Pseudostem grow to an enormous 3ft in diameter. Makes a statement in your landscape adding a rich tropical look and contrast to the landscape. The word ventricosum means 'with a swelling' so just its name suggests that it will be very large! Trees should be mulched for frost protection or they can be grown in containers but will only reach about half of full height. Since these are seed grown there is always a chance for a mutated version of this plant like the Maurellii or even some new strange mutation. Most will be true and one should not purchase with any expectations of a mutation. Make sure you have enough room for this massive plants as they do grow very large!
Available SHORTLY $0.00 each seed grown Ensete Ventricosum approx:
Awesome Ornamental Cold Tolerant Hardy Banana Plants
Musa Basjoo COLD HARDY Banana - Zones 3 and up (-3°F) and with protective mulching it can survive temperatures reaching down to -20°F. Grow this in a container or plant straight into the ground. If grown in the ground, it will produce offsets (babies) by the end of this season or mid next season. It's a wonderful banana species that is fast growing as the rest, but more cold tolerant than any besides the Musa Sikkimensis. It gets to heights of 14-18 ft with slender stalk and bright green leaves. Adds that touch of the tropics to any landscape! You can grow this in any state! It does bear edible fruit and is grown as an ornamental plant. As with any banana, it will lose its leaves after a freeze but this one is SURE to grow again when the weather warms up. This one can even be successfully grown indoors. Available Now !
$0.00 - each Musa Basjoo Cold Hardy Banana 10-12" tall - fast growing plant-well established.
Musa Thai Black Balbisiana - Zones 6-10 - Cold Hardy - Should have the same cold hardiness as the Musa Sikkimensis and maybe Musa Basjoo. This somewhat newly introduced banana plant is very interesting and is why we have it available. The colorful pseudostem is a rich, deep purple almost black in appearance and this one can be welcomed by the same who want a tropical look in the colder climate. It is said to be a cultivar of the Musa Balbisiana. Sharing the characteristics of cold tolerance, rapid growth and ease of care this one should prove to become a popular favorite among collectors. it grows rapidly to heights of about 18 feet tall. This is well into your second story roof! I am not sure what the blooms appearance is but given its characteristics, I would assume large and beautiful.
Musa Bordelon - Zone 7 Cold Hardy! Here we have an awesome Cold Hardy & very ornamental musa banana plant. The plants mature out at 14 feet tall and have very beautiful colored leaves! These rival the beauty of Musa Zebrina, the Blood Musa. The fruit is full of seeds and is not edible. I say, that's ok. This is such a beautiful ornamental tropical plant and there are plenty of others that you can eat the hands. It was first found in Louisiana in the town of Bordelonville. The upper side of the leaves are dark green splotched with deep burgundy and the underside is fully painted in burgundy/maroon color. Put a little Cajun spice in your life!
Available again SHORTLY $25.95 each Musa Bordelon Starter Plant aprox: 8-10" tall and growing
Musa Balbisiana Banana - Zone 6-10 Cold Hardy! Seed Grown Right here in Central Florida! The Musa Balbisiana is a lesser known variety that comes to us from the north east area of India. It is believed to be one of the progenitors of the commercial banana. It occurs naturally at high altitudes, can handle frost conditions and freezes. We know here that it can definitely take cold weather to temperatures of at least 28ºF. It is said to almost be as cold hardy as the Musa Basjoo and Sikkimensis. The fruit is full of seeds and not very tasty, but this will not matter when observing it huge giant beautiful red bloom! It reaches heights of about 12 feet with vigor! These plants are either pups from a mother plant or grown from seed. As far as ornamental banana plants go, this is one of my favorites as it gives us the beauty of its huge flower and mega-tropical appearance. Enjoy! We have these in limited quantities when available.
Available again SHORTLY
Tiger Sikkimensis Banana COLD HARDY (Darjeeling Hookerii) - Stands freezes to (-3°F) . This is a fairly new species of banana to cultivation and collectors love this one! Grows to heights of 14ft tall and 18in.in diameter., tinged with red, and purple new leaves and leaf-midribs. A percentage of plants even exhibits beautifully dark red mottled leaves. The Darjeeling Banana is very hardy to cold (i.e. in the sense of Musa basjoo) coming, as it does, from mountain forests up to 2000m (6000ft) in the Himalayas of NE-India. First trials outdoors in the US, Britain, Germany and Switzerland have shown an excellent resistance to cold and frost. Like all bananas, it is extremely fast growing, given rich soil and an abundance of water. The fruits have a sweetish pulp but are hard and contain a few large seeds. These are not the Indian variety that is only green with reddish undersides to the leaves, these are a special wonderful, very colorful ornamental that is as cold hardy as the Musa Basjoo! We have these in limited quantities when available.
Contrary to some beliefs and reports, this variety is definitely different from the regular green/red Darjeeling Sikkimensis. I have grown both types of seeds and without a doubt, the tiger variety sports the deep red/purple striped variegation whereas the greener variety has NO red striping on the upper side, only red undersides. This information comes from 4 years experience growing these bananas.
This picture below is one of our Tiger Sikkimensis only a few months old grown from seed.
$0.00 each young Sikkimensis plant approx: 8-10" tall, Shipped bare root moist Available This Spring!
Musa*Red Jewel* Hardy to Zone 8b (32°F) and with protective mulching it can survive temperatures reaching down to 20°F. These new bananas are a fresh hybrid of a Christmas Banana and a cavendish type that have been tissue cultured and is what I was told by the company they were bought from. It's so new that there are no pictures of one that has flowered or matured, so I apologize for that. The info I received is that they will have red underside to the leaves and red streaks on the upper side with a red midrib and pseudostem. It is not known if the fruit will be edible but since its crossed with an edible Musa, it just might make a great tasty treat! It's sure to make a grand appearance either way. Since there is little info on it yet, it will be sold as is and as an ornamental banana. I am guessing that it will grow to heights of at least 12-16 ft tall and will do so fast. These bananas are small but like all bananas, can grow to full size in just a few months of moist fertile soil, warmth and humidity.
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