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Musa coccinea

scarlet banana

An evergreen, palm-like, suckering perennial. It bears paddle-shaped long, glossy green leaves. In summer, erect spirals of tubular, yellow flowers are enclosed in red bracts. These are followed by inedible, small orange fruit

Synonyms

Musa uranoscopus misapplied

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1B

Botanical details

Family: Musaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Tufted
Genus: Musa are suckering evergreen perennials with very large, paddle-shaped leaves whose stalk-bases form a false stem, and clusters of tubular flowers with colourful bracts, followed by cylindrical fruits
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Indochina

How to grow

Cultivation

Should be grown indoors in frost-free conditions, but pots may be put outside in summer in a sheltered spot. See banana cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by potting up suckers after flowering

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Sub-tropical
Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Wall side borders

Pruning

Remove damaged or dead leaves

Pests

Will be susceptible to the usual glasshouse pests, including glasshouse whitefly and mealybugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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