The Musa nagensium var. nagensium is a very beautiful and large tropical looking banana.
The robust and beautiful purple-red stems grow up to 6 meters high with large broad leaves.
The leaves are waxy white on the underside and have dark red ribs.
This giant banana grows in clusters that sprout from the roots at the trunk.
The overhanging inflorescence contains scarlet bracts and very waxy, strongly tilted fruits.
Musa nagensium is native to rainforests from the eastern Himalayas to western Yunnan in China. It is an excellent ornamental plant and the bananas are edible.
This banana likes a sunny place or partial shade.
If exposed to frost, the banana will die. If the roots are well protected against frost by, for example, mulching, the banana will sprout again in the spring.
However, it is better to overwinter the banana frost-free to get it to flower and therefore bananas. When shipping the bananas in a package, we may cut back the banana leaf. These grow back very quickly.
Winter hardiness zone 9a (-5ºC).