- Botanical name: Musa basjoo
- Common name: Hardy banana
- Family: Musaceae
- Plant Type: Perennial, Evergreen
White
Green
- Key features:
- Dramatic foliage
- Prefers rich soil
While commonly known as the Japanese or hardy banana, Musa basjoo is now thought to originate from the Sichuan province of China.
Musa basjoo grows to the size of a small tree, so gardeners are often shocked when the foliage dies back when the first frosts arrive. This is nothing to worry about, though – think of it as an enormous herbaceous perennial that, in the UK climate, dies back in winter to the roots and will produce new growth in spring.
When temperatures warm in spring, Musa basjoo will grow quickly to produce large, exotic leaves and will appreciate regular watering and feeding to sustain this growth. It looks brilliant in a sub-tropical border with plants like hedychiums, hardy scheffleras and persicarias.
For best results, grow Musa basjoo in full sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained soil that has had lots of organic matter incorporated to boost fertility. While they are reputedly hardy down to -15ºC, they may require some winter protection in the form of a thick layer of protective mulch over the roots and a layer of horticultural fleece around the pseudostem. In milder locations and sheltered microclimates, you might be able to get away with no winter protection at all.
Musa basjoo holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
How to grow Musa basjoo
-
Plant size
5m height
4m spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Back
- Sun exposure: Full shade
- Hardiness: Half hardy
- Soil type: Acidic / chalky / alkaline / clay / heavy / moist / well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | ||||||||||||
| Sow |
J
Do not Sow in January |
F
Do not Sow in February |
M
Do Sow in March |
A
Do Sow in April |
M
Do Sow in May |
J
Do not Sow in June |
J
Do not Sow in July |
A
Do not Sow in August |
S
Do Sow in September |
O
Do Sow in October |
N
Do not Sow in November |
D
Do not Sow in December |
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does not flower in May |
J
Plant does not flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Divide | ||||||||||||
| Divide |
J
Do not Divide in January |
F
Do not Divide in February |
M
Do Divide in March |
A
Do Divide in April |
M
Do not Divide in May |
J
Do not Divide in June |
J
Do not Divide in July |
A
Do not Divide in August |
S
Do not Divide in September |
O
Do not Divide in October |
N
Do not Divide in November |
D
Do not Divide in December |
Musa basjoo and wildlife
Musa basjoo has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Musa basjoo poisonous?
Musa basjoo has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
Plants that go well with Musa basjoo
