Musa x paradisiaca Play pronunciation

Edible Banana is a fast growing,suckering, herbaceous perennial tree, a member of the banana family (Musaceae), and a sterile hybrid of M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. It is a tropical plant cultivated in warm climates for its tasty yellow-skinned fruit, commonly called French plantains. In addition to the fruit, the plant produces large (8 foot) leaves and yellow flowers with attractive lavender bracts.The genus name honors Antonia Musa, Roman physician of the 1st century B.C. The species epithet means "of the paradise or of the pleasure garden."

Edible Banana is not winter hardy, but it can be grown outdoors with the condition that it be dug up and brought indoors at first frost. More typically, it is grown in greenhouses or containers that are brought indoors. Its relatively small size makes it useful as a houseplant. If grown outdoors, plant Edible Banana in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Use a site with part shade or light filtered sun in the heat of the day and protected from winds that can damage the leaves. Keep the soil moist and fertilize plants regularly during the growing season. If grown in containers, use a well-drained potting soil mix kept consistently moist. When brought indoors, place containers in a large sunny room with reduced water and fertilization. Alternatively, you can cut foliage back to 6 or 8 inches and store the container in a cool, dark, frost-free locaton.

Young plants often will not flower and fruit until well established and container plants cut close to the ground in fall each year may never flower. Also, after flowering and fruiting, the pseudostem formed by the leaves dies, but suckers will form new pseudostems.

While this species does include some dessert bananas, it mostly contains cultivars of starchy cooking bananas and plantains. Many of these cultivars are available in commerce, ranging in height from 7 to 25 feet tall.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems. If grown in a greenhouse, watch for aphids, mealybugs, moths, scale, thrips, fruit flies and spider mites. Susceptible to anthracnose, wilt and mosaic virus.