Japanese Fibre Banana Musa basjoo
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- MEW-suh BAS-joo
- Description
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Japanese Banana is the most cold-hardy banana tree and is grown for it fast-growing tropical foliage and ornamental inedible fruits. The rhizomes are cold hardy to -10 degrees F.
Plant in humus-rich moist well-drained soils in full sun. Use as a tropical specimen or a container plant. It can be brought indoors for winter. Fruit set takes 12-24 months to appear.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Musa
- Species:
- basjoo
- Family:
- Musaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Plant fibers are used to make'banana cloth'. The stem, flower, leaves and rhizome have been used medicinally.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Africa and Asia
- Dimensions:
- Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Houseplant
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6a, 6b, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10b, 10a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 2-4 inch long yellow-green fruits with sparse white pulp and many seeds that are inedible.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- Yellow-orange torpedo-shaped flowers with purplish bracts from the top of the stem
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Green leaves are 6 feet long and 2 feet wide when mature and arch from the top of the trunk.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Leaves form pseudostems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Houseplants
- Patio
- Pond
- Pool/Hardscape
- Design Feature:
- Specimen