General Description | Ensete ventricosum is a herbaceous perennial with large, decorative leaves with striking purple midrib and produces red banana-like fruit that is a staple food crop in Ethiopia. |
Shape | Mounding in youth, tree-like at maturity. |
Landscape | Best suited to a more sheltered garden. A popular ornamental with striking tropical foliage. Needs lots of space. |
Cultivation | Grow in a sunny, sheltered location away from wind, requires moist soil. In temperate regions, Marginally more robust than the traditional, cultivated banana (Musa). |
Pests | Apparent lack of pests and diseases when grown outdoors. Mealybug may be of concern on plants grown indoors. |
Notable Specimens | The Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and School of Horticulture, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. |
Habitat | Open mountain forests of North Africa to Ethiopia. |
Leaf Description | Upward pointing, can grow up to 6 m long. |