Musa basjoo: Uses (Ethnobotany)
Plant fibers are used to make'banana cloth'. The stem, flower, leaves and rhizome have been used medicinally.
Plant Profile: Musa basjoo
Names
Hardy Banana, Japanese Banana, Japanese Fibre Banana, Sichuan Hardy Banana
Phonetic Spelling:MEW-suh BAS-joo
Genus:Musa
Species:basjoo
Family:Musaceae
The Japanese Banana is renowned for being the most resilient banana tree in cold climates, valued for its rapid growth and attractive tropical leaves, as well as its ornamental, though inedible, fruits. Its rhizomes can withstand temperatures as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
For optimal growth, plant it in well-drained, humus-rich soil and ensure it receives full sunlight. This banana tree can serve as a striking tropical feature in your garden or be cultivated in a container, making it easy to bring indoors during the winter months. Expect fruit to develop within 12 to 24 months.
Tags
#houseplant
#interiorscape
#pond garden
#patio tree
#tropical feel
Similar Plants
Musa basjoo is often confused with:
Musa basjoo Feature Summary
Attributes
Plant fibers are used to make'banana cloth'. The stem, flower, leaves and rhizome have been used medicinally.
Africa and Asia
Perennial
Fruit
2-4 inch long yellow-green fruits with sparse white pulp and many seeds that are inedible.
Green
Gold/Yellow
1-3 inches
< 1 inch
Flowers
Yellow-orange torpedo-shaped flowers with purplish bracts from the top of the stem
Purple/Lavender
Gold/Yellow
Orange
Summer
Leaves
Green leaves are 6 feet long and 2 feet wide when mature and arch from the top of the trunk.
Green
Simple
> 6 inches
> 6 inches
Stem
Leaves form pseudostems
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Moist
12-24 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
High Organic Matter
Landscape
Specimen
Container
Patio
Houseplants
Pool/Hardscape
Pond
Musa basjoo Image Gallery
Musa basjoo Attributes
Musa basjoo: Country Or Region Of Origin
Africa and Asia
Musa basjoo: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Musa basjoo Fruit
Musa basjoo: Fruit Description
2-4 inch long yellow-green fruits with sparse white pulp and many seeds that are inedible.
Musa basjoo: Fruit Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Musa basjoo: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Musa basjoo: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Musa basjoo: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Musa basjoo Flowers
Musa basjoo: Flower Description
Yellow-orange torpedo-shaped flowers with purplish bracts from the top of the stem
Musa basjoo: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Orange
Purple/Lavender
Musa basjoo: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Musa basjoo: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Musa basjoo Leaves
Musa basjoo: Leaf Description
Green leaves are 6 feet long and 2 feet wide when mature and arch from the top of the trunk.
Musa basjoo: Leaf Color
Green
Musa basjoo: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Musa basjoo: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Musa basjoo: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Musa basjoo: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Musa basjoo: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Musa basjoo Stem
Musa basjoo: Stem Description
Leaves form pseudostems
Musa basjoo: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Musa basjoo Whole Plant Traits
Musa basjoo: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Musa basjoo: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Musa basjoo: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Musa basjoo Cultural Conditions
Musa basjoo: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Musa basjoo: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Musa basjoo: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Musa basjoo: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Musa basjoo: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
10a
10b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Musa basjoo: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Musa basjoo Landscape
Musa basjoo: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Musa basjoo: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
