About
Musa velutina, the pink banana, is an evergreen perennial to 2.5 m producing slender pseudostems with paddle-shaped leaves and arching spikes of pink flowers with ornamental pink bracts in summer, followed by small, inedible, velvety-pink, banana-like fruits. One of the most ornamental and compact bananas for a heated conservatory or sheltered garden.
About the genus
Musa, the bananas, are suckering evergreen perennials with very large, paddle-shaped leaves whose sheathing stalk-bases form a false stem, and clusters of tubular flowers with colourful bracts, followed by cylindrical fruits. Grown as ornamental and fruiting plants in heated glasshouses and frost-free gardens.
Plant details
Suggested usesBorders, containers, naturalising in grass.
Care notes
CultivationPlant at appropriate depth in well-drained soil.
PruningAllow foliage to die back naturally after flowering.
PropagationDivide offsets or bulbils when dormant.
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free. Monitor for common garden pests.
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-resistant. Ensure good air circulation.