Banana Dreams: Cultivating Tropical Beauty in Winter

You might be wondering why I have bananas on my mind in the midst of winter. Well, after five days of relentless rain, I’m yearning for something to lift my spirits and make me feel a bit more tropical. 🌴

Bananas have always fascinated me, although my experiences with growing them have been a mixed bag. The Abyssinian bananas in my garden grow like crazy, to the point where we’re constantly cutting them back. But the traditional, tall varieties? They usually look like they’ve been through a shredder, struggling to survive and appearing more than halfway dead.

Once, I had three banana plants inside in massive pots. They were stunning, protected from the wind and showered with my excessive care. They grew tall, straight, and lush until we moved to a new house with ceilings too low to accommodate them. I transplanted them to the garden, where, predictably, they succumbed to the cold, wind, and my neglect.

A few years ago, a neighbor gifted me a unique variegated banana plant. Determined not to let it languish, especially since I knew my neighbor might ask about it, I planted it in a beautiful, jade-colored, glazed olive pot. We moved again, this time to Waiheke Island, and I brought the pot along. At our first rental house there, the banana sulked on the deck, not growing a single millimeter. But at the second house, it suddenly thrived, growing about a meter and looking absolutely gorgeous.

Recently, I had to cut it back to bring it home, but it has forgiven me and grown another meter, unveiling several deep maroon leaves over the past few weeks. A knowledgeable friend identified it as Musa zebrina, the Blood Banana. Its green leaves are splashed with rich mahogany-red on top, and the undersides are a striking purple-red. It’s a slim, 1.8-meter plant that requires perfect shelter and dappled light to look its best, which explains my previous mixed results.

Encouraged by my success with the Blood Banana, I’ve been inspired to explore other banana varieties, discovering there’s one suited for every garden, whether you have a sprawling country estate or a compact urban space.

Banana Varieties for Every Garden

Musa velutina is perfect if you love pink (I certainly do!). It boasts striking pink flowers and velvety pink fruit in summer and autumn. This banana can reach up to 2 meters in full sun but will also thrive in shade, growing somewhat taller. The fruit splits open to reveal black seeds in white flesh. While they look tempting, their taste leaves much to be desired – you’ll likely only try them once!

Musa mannii, the Indian Dwarf Banana, is another petite variety known for its large heads of multicolored flowers in shades of pink, orange, and green. These beauties can grow and bloom within a single season, forming a dense, lush clump about 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters within a year.

Musa coccinea, originating from Thailand, features bright scarlet flowers that can last for several months. If you have florist friends, beware – they’ll covet these blooms! This variety is akin to my indoor bananas; it needs shelter and thrives when nestled among other plants in a bit of shade. It’s more delicate in colder areas and grows to about 1.5 meters tall.

For those in cooler, windier regions, Musa bordelon is a great choice. It’s a smaller variety with tan-splashed leaves that have dark red undersides and a charming lavender flower.

And if you’re really short on space, there’s the Cavendish Super Dwarf. This tiny banana plant only reaches about 60 cm, making it ideal for underplanting and happy in dappled light.

Caring for Your Bananas

To keep your bananas looking their best, whether inside or out, there are a few key care tips to follow. Remove the old stems as soon as the flowers and fruit are finished. Trim some of the young suckers to maintain the clump at a manageable size and feed them frequently with chicken manure.

Bananas thrive in moist conditions, so keep them well-watered and mulched. And don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated too – there’s nothing like nurturing a banana plant to make you crave a tropical cocktail in hand! 🍹

So, whether you’re dreaming of a tropical getaway or just want to add a splash of the exotic to your garden, there’s a banana out there waiting to brighten your space. Happy growing!