Ensete ventrichosum

Abyssinian Banana, Ornamental Banana

One very large ornamental banana from the Ethiopian highlands, lolerates some shadow and need much place. The leaves are huge, to 4.50 m (!) long, the midrib is red. This banana does not sucker, can only be propagated by seeds and tissue culture. But in exceptional cases it forms by destruction of the vegetable point suckers like after freeze. It grows rapidly and does flowers regulary in the subtropics and tropics. Young plants can grow under optimal culture conditions and at suitable places to 2.50 m within only one year.

During my recreational phase 2011/12 I got 3 young plants from my friend and planted them at the pond, at the vegetable garden of my housekeeper and on the lawn in the corner between the three Cocos nucifera and Spondias purpureus at hte house where the soil is red and loamy and the place in the catchmet of the water tower. The at the pond did not survive and disappeared, the at the vegetable garden did not grow very well because of the sandy soil. Aut the at the house is grown very well and kept very well because of the water turm and the good soil.