Musa Itinerans

Description

Individual plants grow to between 3-7 m high, but can reach up to 12 m, with leaves around 3 m in length and 90 cm in width. As the leaves are coloured red on their underside with shoots growing from a creeping, elongated, underground rhizome. The plants thrive best in shade or filtered sun, as intense direct sun can damage the leaves. Unusually, this wild banana has pink fruits and in its native south-east Asia, they are an important wild food source for Asian elephants .This species is increasingly under threat in the wild commercial agriculture is now clearing much of the irreplaceable jungle habitat. It is distributed from north-east India to Vietnam and is also found in China, Laos, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand.

Sowing Advice

Abrade a small portion of each seed with sand paper or on a rough brick or similar, then soak seeds for 24 hours before sowing 2cm deep in a good loamy compost. Keep in a propagator or warm place, at between 20 and 25 degrees C, and do not exclude light. Germination can be erratic, usually taking between 2 to 12 months, sometimes longer, so do not discard the seed pots. Pot on small plants frequently in a coarse loose compost to achieve huge plants very quickly.

Key Facts