Japanese banana
Musa basjoo
RHS AGM 2002
USDA zones5 to 10
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size6 to 14 feet tall6 to 14 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Erect
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Cream to yellow
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Notes
Japanese banana (Musa basjoo) is a perennial for borders, containers, specimens, and accents. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full or part sun and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. You can protect the stems in winter with an enclosure of leaves or bubble wrap to keep its height for next season. After a cold winter, it will resprout from the ground.
Pairs well with Hidcote lavender, Cherry Brandy rudbeckia, and Berggarten sage.
Native range
Asia.