The Main Plant entry for False Bananas (Ensete)

This database entry exists to show plant data and photos that apply generically to all False Bananas.

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 8b -9.4 °C (15 °F) to -6.7 °C (20 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 11
Leaves: Good fall color
Unusual foliage color
Flowers: Fragrant
Other: Infloresence may produce small bananas which are inedible
Uses: Vegetable
Will Naturalize
Propagation: Seeds: Other info: Propagation is by seed in the wild.
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Monocarpic

Image
Common names
  • False Banana

Photo Gallery

Photo courtesy of: Rod Waddington
Comments:
  • Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Mar 3, 2012 7:14 AM concerning plant:
    Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is commonly known as "false banana" for its close resemblance to the domesticated banana plant. It is the root of the Ensete plant that is eaten rather than the fruit which is inedible.

    Wild Ensete plants are produced from seeds, while most domesticated plants are propagated from suckers. Up to 400 suckers can be produced from just one mother plant.

    Enset is often intercropped with sorghum or coffee in Ethopia and parts of Africa where it is a traditional food crop.

  • Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on May 22, 2013 11:28 PM concerning plant:
    "Ensete is a genus of monocarpic flowering plants native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. It is one of the three genera in the banana family, Musaceae, and includes the false banana or enset (E. ventricosum), an economically important foodcrop in Ethiopia."

    Taken from wikipedia's page at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...

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