Ensete ventricosum “Maurelii”

Red Abyssinian Banana
Ensete ventricosum “Maurelii””
Type: Perennial
Exposure: Sun / Part Shade
Water: Regular

These are big, beautiful, in-your-face tropical plants that make for an amazing focal point in a large border. Close relatives to the edible banana, it forms huge, glossy, 10ft (3m) long by 3ft (90cm) wide leaves that feature a wine red leaf stalk, with dark green flesh, with more red coloring near the leaf edges, and a dull red on the back. These arch gracefully away from a central vertical stem. These leaves will look best if you can find a sheltered location for your ensete, as they tend to get tattered in windy sites. They are well suited to large containers, and look terrific poolside.

But here’s the catch. They tend to be rather borderline here in zone (USDA)8. At best, in a mild winter, it will die to the ground then regrow from the roots in the spring. Colder than average winters will kill it completely, unless it is dug up, pruned and brought into shelter, like a garage. Or, if grown in a container, it can be brought in, container and all. The other option, of course, is to treat it as a monster annual and buy a new one each year. It’s up to you to decide if a few months of  colorful tropical foliage is worth the expense, I guess. Shop around though…there are deals to be had.

Cheers,

John