Musa balbisiana
Musa balbisiana is a tender and edible, ornamental plantain banana with red bracts and yellow skinned seedy fruit.
Description:
Musa balbisiana, known as plantain banana, is a wild species and ancestor of many cultivated bananas along with M. acuminata. A fast grower up to 16 feet tall with a 9 foot spread and a more upright habit than other cultivars. The green flowers with red to maroon bracts produce yellow bananas 4-10 inches long. It is used for cooking - boiled, baked, fried or roasted - and is inedible in its raw state due to its seediness. Prefers moist, well-drained soil with heat, sun and humidity. Young plants prefer partial shade. Great for providing a tropical effect. Pollinators include birds and bats. Photo credit: Wikipedia.
Common Name: Plantain Banana - [Citrus Pre-Order]
Family: Musaceae (The Banana Family)
Zone Hardiness: 9-12
Light: Full Sun, Part Shade
Height: 10-15'
Width: 8-10'
Primary Bloom Colour: Green
Secondary Bloom Colour: Red
Class: Evergreen
Type: Tender
Bloom Time: Summer
Soil Moisture: Average
Stem Colour: Blue
Fragrance: No
Berries:
Benefits:
Deer Resistant: Unknown
BC Native: No
Native Habitat: Light woodland and at forest margins
Award:
Geogrpahical Origin: Asia and the Pacific - Indian Subcontinent
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*The Plant Encyclopedia is updated each year to provide a representation of the plants we offer, have offered, and may offer again. However, it is not a live inventory of our stock. Not all plants will be available at all times or in every year. Use the link above to enquire about the availability of this plant. Additionally, we carry many plants that have not yet been entered into our database so please enquire if you don’t see what you’re looking for. Plants are available only for on-site sales at our nursery in Richmond, BC, Canada or for shipping within Canada. We do not ship internationally. However, if you are visiting the nursery from afar, we can arrange for the necessary permits and paperwork for you to take plants back with you to your country.