Perennials, Tropicals > Ensete > Ensete ventricosum > Ensete ventricosum
Ensete ventricosum
Abyssinian Banana, Ethiopian or False Banana, Red Banana, Wild Banana
Origin: Ensete ventricosum's name was first published 1948 in Kew Bull. 1947, p. 101. Its synonyms include Musa arnoldiana De Wild., Musa ventricosa Welw. or Musa ensete J. F. Gmel.
| Family |
| Musaceae |
| Genus |
| Ensete |
| Species |
| ventricosum |
| Category |
| Perennials, Tropicals |
| Synonyms |
| Musa arnoldiana, Musa ventricosa, Musa ensete |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10a - 10b |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cool season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H2 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 1 - 5 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 34 - 40 |
| Height |
| 2 - 6 m |
| Spread |
| 3 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| 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. |
| 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). |
| Shape |
| Mounding in youth, tree-like at maturity. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| Pests |
| Apparent lack of pests and diseases when grown outdoors. Mealybug may be of concern on plants grown indoors. |
| Habitat |
| Open mountain forests of North Africa to Ethiopia. |
| Leaf Description |
| Upward pointing, can grow up to 6 m long. |
| Notable Specimens |
| The Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and School of Horticulture, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. |
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