Musa

About Musa

Significantly smaller than the likes of the edible bananas, these musas nevertheless are of great ornamental value. Being small has its advantages as these dwarf musas prove, as they take up niches in the typically small urban garden.

The dwarf musas are diploid plants, which means unlike most of their larger commercial counterparts, can produce viable seed. Planting the black seeds is also another way of increasing stock of the plants.

Most of the dwarf musas have upward blooms, meaning that the flowering stalk is held way above the foliage for all to see, unlike the usual pendulous stalks of the typical edible banana. This provides a great deal of interest with beacons of pink, bronze and red in the garden.

Care

Soil: Regular garden soil or burnt earth would suffice for cultivation. Nevertheless, regularly plough the surface to ensure good aeration.

Containers: Either in the ground or appropriately sized pots. They also enjoy being planted in large tubs.

Watering: Once or twice daily, but not in the hot sun as this will result in scorch marks on their tender foliage.

Light: 50% shade to full sun. Too much shade would result in weak and spindly stems though.

Fertilizers: Musas are greedy feeders. Feed monthly with organic fertilizers such as chicken or goat dung.

Propagation: By dividing the clump or by growing the seeds.

Products

1. Pink Ornamental Banana Musa ornata

This lush beauty produces fuchsia blooms. A garden staple.

2. Red Ornamental or Okinawa Banana  Musa coccinea

A very sought after plant for its scarlet blooms. Used to be called Musa uranoscopus in cultivation.

3. Sumatran or Burgundy Banana  Musa sumatrana “Zebrina”

A dramatic banana with blotched leaves and deep burgundy undersides. Produces a pendulous inflorescence with a dark purple heart. Essentially exotic.

4. White Ornamental Banana Musa ornata “Nivea”

An extremely rare pure white cultivated form of the Pink Ornamental Banana. Only rhizomes are available and upon request. Limited in supply, but a true beauty nevertheless.