Banana plants like warm conditions – they cannot cope well with temperatures below 12-15°C. Banana Tree Plant Profile Botanical Name. Add a finishing touch to your balcony or patio with this wicker effect large lantern. A ripe fruit contains as much as 22 percent of carbohydrate and is high in dietary fibre, potassium, manganese, and vitamins B6 and C. Bananas are thought to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia, and their consumption is mentioned in early Greek, Latin, and Arab writings; Alexander the Great saw bananas on an expedition to India. It's suitable for both indoor and outdoor spaces. If you want a banana leaf plant (or two) in your home, follow these need-to-know tips with some help from the plant experts at The Joy of Plants. You should never let the plant stand in water so ensure sufficient drainage. 5. They slowly release water into the soil around your plants as needed – as the soil dries out, it releases oxygen back up into the glass bulb which pushes water back into the soil. The Cavendish is the most important species for edible bananas, but be warned, it often takes more than three years for the first flowers to appear on the plant which is needed for the fruit. Great for jazzing up tired-looked walls. Allow it to overwinter indoors, and allow it to gradually acclimatise to bright sunlight in the spring to prevent scorching. Originating from South-East Asia and the South Pacific, the banana is one of the oldest cultivated crops. 1. Each purple-red bract curls, exposing the clusters of pistillate (female) flowers underneath. 3. The banana plant is the perfect houseplant to bring a touch of the tropics into your home. Look out for pests and diseases: aphids and scale insects are the most common, while sticky clear honeydew is a sign... 3. Looking to have some phone-free fun with the family this summer? Powerless to breed resistance into the sterile clones and unable to rid the soil of the fungus, farmers were soon forced to abandon the Gros Michel in favour of the hardier Cavendish. READ MORE: 16 garden mirrors for your outdoor space. The dead trunk is replaced by others in the form of suckers, or shoots, which arise from the rhizome at roughly six-month intervals. Poinsettia care tips: 13 golden rules to follow, 31 Black-owned home decor businesses to support, Outdoor Cushion - Best Garden Accessories, Garden Acapulco Reversible Cushion, 43 x 43cm, Green/Multi, Outdoor Plant Pots - Best Garden Accessories, Garden Sculpture - Best Garden Accessories, Bluebell Handmade Recycled Metal Garden Sculpture, Garden Lanterns - Best Garden Accessories, Summer Lantern Candle Holder, Pink/Blue, H26 cm, Outdoor Seat Pad - Best Garden Accessories, Garden Ornament - Best Garden Accessories, Set Of Two Little Glass Birdie Plant Watering System, Outdoor Drinks Trolley - Best Garden Accessories, Personalised Hanging Metal Garden Shed Sign, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Suckers and divisions of the rhizome are used as planting material; the first crop ripens within 10 to 15 months, and thereafter fruit production is more or less continuous. Omissions? Olivia Heath is the Digital Editor at House Beautiful UK, uncovering tomorrow's biggest home trends all while delivering stylish room inspiration, small space solutions, easy garden ideas and house tours of the hottest properties on the market. Designed to illuminate automatically at dusk, they charge in direct sunlight. Step 2. Rugs don't just have to be for inside the home: bring comfort underfoot with this beautiful outdoor rug. Wide range of sizes: 'Truly Tiny' cultivar is only about 1.5 feet tall, while 'Cuban Red' can be up to 25... Sun Exposure. Banana plants like warm conditions – … Desirable commercial bunches of bananas consist of nine hands or more and weigh 22–65 kg (49–143 pounds). Like this article? Cultivation increased until bananas became a staple foodstuff in many regions, and in the 19th century they began to appear in the markets of the United States. The sign comes with either a rope or suede hanger. Bring a touch of the tropics into your home. 2. While their origin…, …particularly, the cultivation of the banana—to the remaining areas of East Africa. Soil pH. As a houseplant, the banana tree rarely bears fruit. Add comfort to your outdoor dining chairs with this practical cotton seat pad. Indeed, a strain of Panama disease known as Tropical Race (TR) 4 has been a threat to the Cavendish since the 1990s, and many scientists worry that the Cavendish too will eventually go extinct. For export, the desired degree of maturity attained before harvest depends upon distance from market and type of transportation, and ripening is frequently induced artificially after shipment by exposure to ethylene gas. Richer and sweeter than the modern Cavendish, the Gros Michel fell victim to an invading soil fungus that causes Panama disease, a form of Fusarium wilt. Houseplant food once a fortnight will keep the banana plant strong and beautiful. Position your banana leaf plant near a window where it can receive eight or more hours of bright light per day. Our summer garden parties might be looking very different this year, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy this cheerful candle lantern. It's a great way to inject a pop of colour outdoors. 4. The banana plant has a limited range but Musa 'Dwarf Cavendish' and Musa 'Tropicana' are the most common varieties. The banana is grown in the tropics, and, though it is most widely consumed in those regions, it is valued worldwide for its flavour, nutritional value, and availability throughout the year. Banana plants thrive naturally on deep, loose, well-drained soils in humid tropical climates, and they are grown successfully under irrigation in such semiarid regions as southern Jamaica. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Frequent pruning is required to remove surplus growth and prevent crowding in a banana plantation. Common Names. Your banana leaf plant can be placed in the garden in a sunny, sheltered spot as a container plant from mid-April to mid-October. Simultaneously or perhaps previously went the spread of ironworking, and fairly certainly too the diffusion of Bantu languages—except in the core of the Cushitic wedge and to the north of an east-west line through Lake Kyoga. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, 7 unique plants to buy in time for Christmas, 10 indoor plants you'll see everywhere in 2021, Monty Don says we should stop buying peat compost, Autumn will be longer and more colourful this year, Dobbies is selling plants in sustainable coir pots. READ MORE: 14 stylish outdoor cushions to buy for your garden. Made from recycled metals, such as car bodies and oil drums., this bluebell garden sculpture will look great nestled amongst grass and flower borders. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Banana plants growing on a plantation. Rich, well-drained soil. Like this article? READ MORE: The best outdoor plant pots for your garden or patio area. If it's thriving and getting too big, remove some of the lower stems so that it produces fresh side shoots. Shortly after the discovery of America, bananas were taken from the Canary Islands to the New World, where they were first established in Hispaniola and soon spread to other islands and the mainland.