flowering banana
Musa ornata
RHS AGM 1993
USDA zones9 to 11
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size6 to 9 feet tall5 to 7 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Spreading
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Orange-yellow with purple-pink bracts
- Foliage color
- Blue, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Notes
Flowering banana (Musa ornata) is a perennial for borders, containers, and specimen or accent planting. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 9 and warmer, down to about 20°F (-7°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes full sun and average to moist soil of most types. Orange-yellow flowers open among purple-pink bracts, and the blue-green leaves stay evergreen.
Pairs well with Lemongrass, Sugar cane, and Tuberose.
Native range
Asia.