PlantFiles: Red Banana Tree, Variegated Blood Banana
Musa sumatrana 'Rojo'

I bought this plant because i wanted a tropical feel to my pool. I immediately had to separate it because there were 8-9 sprouts around the mother plant. I live in North Carolina, and placed the plants around the pond and pool. However it isn't growing as rapidly as I thought it would. I planted some in containers and some in the ground.

When we first brought this plant home, we gave it room, sun, shade, great soil, food, love and water, but it didn't thrive. Two years later my husband and I decided to gut the patio so we bundled up our puny banana tree in a black garbage bag and placed in the front garden with no further thought. The thing took off like a weed! Now two trees over fifteen feet tall, the base sends up tiny banana trees with frightening regularity. Also, for the very first time, we have a stalk of about 30 fruits. The local nursery said the fruit aren't edible, but since no one says the fruit are poisonous, I may just have a bite to see for myself. The flowers have a wonderful, subtle scent. This banana is so gorgeous, my neighbors are clamoring for cuttings!

I've had my 'Rojo' banana for about 3 weeks. I planted it in my garden in the front yard. I live in Zone 7a but I supposedly have a microclimate of about 8a or 8b. So far so good. This specimen stands out planted with my other flowers. Next spring I will surround it with low growing annuals.

I planted the red banana tree in the spring. The first couple of weeks, nothing, didnt seem to grow, but now its been growing fast! If any change i will let you know.

Our banana trees grow like weeds; they love heavy, organic feedings (I feed fish byproducts and shells from shell fish. harvested many delicious fruits sweeter than grocery store produce. The "blooms" are large and exotic.

Since it does not rain all summer here in the San Francisco Bay (California) area it was interesting to see a yard of these growing like a giant ground cover of 2-3 foot plants in a Berkeley yard that was not very well watered....

We live in Apopka, Florida and our banana trees are five yrs old. This plant is outside in part shade/part sun area. We have oak trees in our yard which keeps the ground fertile. I have never fertilized the banana trees, nor do I know what kind it is. They stand 7 - 8 ft only and we now have a huge bunch of bananas our two trees now, they are thin bananas about 1 1/2 inch round and 4-5 inches long, they have been out for about 2 months now, I don't know when to harvest them. I will wait a few more weeks and harvest them I guess. Also around the bottom there are five or six new plants coming up; they just reseed or shoot up by themselves.

--- Going bananas in Apopka...

Banana trees contain a certain enchantment about them maybe because they are a tropical not often seen in my home town of Missouri. I placed mine outside during the summer and they grew and grew. I have noticed that these trees must have a constant supply of water to keep their leaf color green. In the winter if you don't have room for them in your house, Wait until the first few frost or until the leaves turn brownish black. Chop off the top of the plant and leaves and remove from ground. Wrap bare stem and roots in newspaper and cover with a plastic bag. Place in a cool, moist, dark place above freezing. Plant again next spring and see the green leaves pop out of the dried up stem

San Antonio, Tx.
This banana can be grown in containers and is suitable for small spaces. Use a 6-2-12 or 9-3-27 fertilizer.

Also known as the Blood banana.

One of the easiest, most enjoyable things I've ever grown. Feed and water heavy, and enjoy!

Collect and sow seed as soon as they are ripe. Warm soil (inside)70-75*.
Can also be propagated by removing the suckers from the parent plant and potting them.
Note. Many banana "trees" will die after they've produced fruit. The stalk that has produced the fruit is usually cut away and the sucker or suckers that grow up from the base are then allowed to grow.