- Botanical name: Musa lasiocarpa
- Common name: Chinese dwarf banana
- Family: Musaceae
- Plant Type: Perennial, Deciduous
Yellow
Green
- Key features:
- Dramatic foliage
- Flowers
- Prefers rich soil
Chinese dwarf banana or golden lotus banana, Musa lasiocarpa, is native to the mountains of China, at altitudes of around 2500m. Sufficiently hardy to be grown outside in the British Isles, it bears a large rosette of yellow bracts, which looks similar to a lotus (hence one of its common names). Tiny flowers grow in between the bracts. Its leaves have a slight glaucous sheen to them and are more resistant to wind than other bananas in the Musa genus. It’s ideal for growing in a tropical style garden.
Grow Musa lasiocarpa in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Protect with fleece and add a thick mulch to cover the roots over winter.
How to grow Musa lasiocarpa
-
Plant size
2m height
2m spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Front, middle
- Sun exposure: Dappled shade, full sun, partial shade
- Hardiness: Half hardy, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not 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 flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does flower in August |
S
Plant does flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Prune | ||||||||||||
| Prune |
J
Do not Prune in January |
F
Do not Prune in February |
M
Do not Prune in March |
A
Do not Prune in April |
M
Do not Prune in May |
J
Do not Prune in June |
J
Do not Prune in July |
A
Do not Prune in August |
S
Do Prune in September |
O
Do Prune in October |
N
Do not Prune in November |
D
Do not Prune in December |
Musa lasiocarpa and wildlife
Musa lasiocarpa has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Musa lasiocarpa poisonous?
Musa lasiocarpa 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 lasiocarpa
