Musa acuminata,
called Cavendish banana or wild banana, is a large, fast-growing, suckering,
evergreen plant that typically grows to 12-20’ tall in the tropics. Many of the
bananas sold in grocery stores are from cultivars of this species or from
hybrids in which this species is a parent. Gardeners in temperate regions
primarily grow these plants not for their fruit but for their ornamental
foliage that lends an exotic and tropical aura to the home and/or landscape.
Plants produce huge paddle-shaped leaves that grow to 6-10’ long. Leaf sheathes
overlap to form a trunk-like pseudostem (false stem). Cream to yellow flowers
may appear in summer on mature plants to be followed by edible yellow bananas.
Garden Uses. Whether grown outdoors in the landscape or indoors as a
houseplant, bananas need lots of space. They are classic tropical foliage
plants, which, if they fruit, produce attractive bunches of yellow bananas.
Effective when grown as a garden centerpiece or for tropical flair near water
bodies. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 10-11. Best grown in organically rich,
medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun.
Growing
Instructions for the Wild Banana
The seeds have
a hard seed coat that has to be treated, or scarified, in order for water to
enter the seeds so that they can sprout. 1. Scarify the seeds by nicking or
sanding the seed coat. The seeds can be sanded with sandpaper, a nail file or
an emery board. 2. Soak the seed in water for 24-48 hours. 3. The seeds like
moist, well-drained soil. Prepare a mixture of half potting soil and half sand,
perlite or vermiculite. Put the soil in a pot. Water the mixture so that it is
moist but not wet. 4. Put the seeds on the soil. 5. Cover the seeds with a
layer of soil. 6. Water the seeds. 7. Place the pots in an area with warm
temperatures in full sun or part shade.
The seeds can take 1 month or more to germinate. 8. When the seedlings
are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted.