Ensete maurelii 'Red Abyssinian' Banana

Product Details:

Ships bare rooted. Approx. 2 feet in height. Limited Supply

Ensete maurelii 'Red Abyssinian Banana'- The Ensete maurelii is also called Red Abyssinian Banana. This is a huge ornamental plant with leaves up to 10 feet long. The maurelii is a fantastically colorful plant with red leaf surfaces and red leaf axils. Looks like it has been hand painted. Plant grows to 18 feet in warm climates. In Zone 9 rarely reaches 8 feet. This banana does not produce suckers so it must be grown from seed or by tissue culture. It is very fast growing, but difficult to flower in northern climates. Fruits have very large hard seeds and are inedible. It will grow well in full sun to partial shade. Makes an outstanding focal point in a large container or planted in the ground. The Ensete maurelii brings the tropical look to any garden setting.

Banana leaves, pseudostem (trunk) and fruiting stem (raceme) grow from the underground rhizome (or pseudobulb's) top surface and the roots grow from the lower surface of the rhizome. The fleshy stems sheathed with huge broad leaves can grow from 2 to 35 feet in as little as 1 year, depending on variety and growing environment. Each pseudostem produces one flower cluster, which develops fruit, then dies.

Bananas grow best in a uniformly warm environment and need 9 to 15 months of frost-free conditions to produce a flower stalk. In the subtropics, fruit ripens in 2-3 months. In cooler climates it may take several weeks longer to ripen. Plant growth stops when temperatures drop to 57°F. Stokes Tropicals' Banana Blend (6-2-12) is the best fertilizer source for these fascinating tropical giants.