Musa velutina

Ornamental Dwarf Banana, Hot Pink Banana

One to 5 feet (1.50 m) tall dwarf banana species from the section Rhodochlamys from Northern India. The small seed-bearing red fruits form after only 5 to 6 months. The inflorescence is erect and has pink bracts, is an ornament. The fruits are edible, but to be treated with caution because of the seeds, still no seedless cultivars do exist.

The species is amazingly cold tolerant, in the U.S.A. there are successful outplant trials with thick mulch cover and rain protection in the winter in the southeastern states up to North Carolina, but one outdoor hibernation trial in my old garden in Germany is failed despite of winter protection of the same method like Musa basjoo.

In November 2011 I got 2 plants from Helton Josué, they were wrongly labeled as Musa schizocarpa and planted them into the special garden for bananas at the pond out. As they flowered in October for the first time, I recognized, that they are not the species Musa schizocarpa but Musa velutina.

Musa velutina, at first wrongly labeled as Musa schizocarpa, on October 28th, 2012.