Going Banana's

Design and InstallationGarden CareIndoor plantsPlant Health Care
Written By Peter Morris

Ornamental Bananas

 

Ornamental bananas differ from the edible kind only in that they are mainly used for decorative purposes.  Although the genus of all bananas is Musa -  the species or both edible and ornamental differ immensely. The subgroup Ensette is also an ornamental banana.

NOTHING screams tropical summer display more than an ornamental banana – and there are so many varieties to choose from !!! Not all are available all times of the year and some only in summer here in NYC.  Some of Plant Specialist's favorites are listed below.

 

Dazzling purple inflorescence brightens any garden !

 

Most varieties are fast growing; all have soft, thick stalks (called pseudostems) and spread by suckers to form clumps. Striking long, typically broad leaves are easily tattered by strong winds, so choose protected planting sites. Can be grown in containers and overwintered indoors.  

 

Ornamental bananas produce fruit – but are inedible due to the many large seeds

 

The Favorites

 

Musa Acuminata 'zebrina'  

Also known as blood bananas – a variety of the wild species native to Sumatra in Indonesia.  Most varieties have green leaves with maroon stripes.  Fruit is usually inedible.  Several cultivars available.  

 

Zebrinas are easy to grow in containers !

 

  Musa acuminata “siam beauty'  

 

Stunning red coloration

Musa laserita  

 

This variety is called the bronze banana – difficult to find ! But beautiful !

 

Musa ornata  

 

Pink to lavender and sometimes purple flowering varieties!

Musa paradisiaca AE

 

Also known as the Royal Variegated Banana

Ensete Maurelii  

 

Red Abyssinian banana with spectacular bronze leaves !

 

Musa Velutina  

 

If you like pink – this is for you ! Upright pink bracts and small velvety pink bananas

 

DID YOU KNOW !      During Victorian times, tropical plants were all the rage. Lavish outdoor displays were created during the summer and then these plants were moved into “glass  houses” to be overwintered for use in next season’s garden.  

 

Want a Victorian garden that is the envy of King or Queen ?

Don't delay - Call Plant Specialists today !

- our Garden Care team can get some for you in time for summer !

 

PLANT SPECIALISTS

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 52 YEARS !

 

 

Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK    

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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