Red Abyssinian Banana

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I've always loved palms and banana trees. Big leaves = big fun, right? Anyways, so I got that whole "not gettin' any younger" thing going on so I ordered myself a banana tree and a Needle Palm.

The banana is a Ensete Maurelii (Red Abyssinian banana). I'll I've to do some winter protection when I put it in the ground next year, but so far so good



It got a little burnt on its first day here . It was sent to me in one of those 2" black plug pots. I put it in the shade on my porch and ran an errand, but the earth moved around the sun ever so slightly and the shade soon became direct sun and it was one of those 95° days last week, so it got cooked

The center leaf is new as of the last three days (finally unfurled over night).

I plan on ordering some more seeds this fall and starting a few more over winter. My wife just shakes her head

 

[thistlebloom]

You're going to grow it in the ground in Minnesota? That must be some tough banana plant!
The foliage on those is very pretty, I like that red midribs contrast with the bright green of the leaf (I looked them up). But they don't produce bananas huh?

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

You're going to grow it in the ground in Minnesota? That must be some tough banana plant!
The foliage on those is very pretty, I like that red midribs contrast with the bright green of the leaf (I looked them up). But they don't produce bananas huh?

It produces a banana, but it's not very edible. I'm just growing it because it's a hardy variety.

 

[Nyboy]

Check out @pax12 threads he grows one in zone 5

 

[thistlebloom]

When I was little mom had a "tropical garden". I really only remember the banana trees. The bananas were so cute. Just tiny little short things. They seemed to ripen about once every four hundred years, but that was on kid time.

 

[Smart Red]

The Janesville "International Rotary Gardens" here in Wisconsin grows several banana plants. For us, they never grow long enough to fruit and they often die back to the ground over the winter, but they do grow.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Has itself a new little leaf going

 

[Smart Red]

Good for you!

 

[pax12]

They are really neat to grow!!