• Eventual height: 5m
  • Eventual spread: 4m

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'

red abyssinian or Ethiopian banana ( syn. Musa ensete rubra )

RHS award of garden merit
2 litre pot £19.99
PL020001276
£19.99
PL30006588
£39.98 £24.00
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  • Standard £5.95

This perennial is semi-evergreen so it can lose some of its leaves in winter. In colder regions or more exposed gardens, it may lose them all, but then fresh new growth appears again in spring.

  • Position: full sun or partial shade
  • Soil: humus-rich soil (or loam-based potting compost - John Innes no. 3 for container-grown specimens)
  • Rate of growth: fast-growing
  • Hardiness: tender (will need winter protection)

    One of the showiest plants for the summer garden, this Abyssinian banana grows at a rate of knots in summer (if kept well fed and watered), producing amazing burgundy-flushed green leaves. It makes a spectacular specimen plant for an exotic-style garden in a frost-free area. Where temperatures fall below 7°C (45°F), it's best grown in a large pot that can be moved under glass during the colder months, or keep it in a temperate greenhouse, shaded from hot sun throughout the year.

  • Garden care: During the growing season water regularly and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser each month. In frost-prone areas lift outdoor specimens before the first frosts, reducing the top-growth to the newest 2 or 3 leaves and cutting back the long roots. Overwinter under glass in a frost-free greenhouse until all risk of frost has passed.
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