Growing guide

How to grow banana plants

Banana plants, with their huge paddle-shaped leaves, add tropical drama to warm, sheltered gardens in summer. Although most are tender and must be brought indoors over winter, some hardier types may survive outdoors in milder parts of the UK if well protected.

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Quick facts

  • Large, exotic-looking leaves in summer
  • Grow in a warm, sheltered, sunny spot
  • For containers and borders
  • Large, vigorous plants, up to 3m (10ft) or more
  • Most are tender, so keep indoors in winter
  • Rarely flower or fruit outdoors in the UK

All you need to know

Before you get started
Planting
Ongoing care
Pruning and training
Propagating
Problems
While we think all this information will be helpful to you, we always recommend to read the instruction labels on your plants.

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.