Musa sikkimensis / Darjeeling Banana

Description

This is a large banana that has a massive pseudostem up to 4.5m tall and 45cm in diameter which is colored red. Its new leaves and leaf midribs are purple in color, and a large percentage of plants display beautifully deep red mottled leaves when young. The Darjeeling banana is very cold hardy (ie in the sense of Musa basjoo), as it comes from the mountain forests up to 2000 m (6000 ft) in the Himalayas of northeastern India. The first outdoor tests in the USA, Britain, Germany and Switzerland showed excellent resistance to cold and frost. Like all bananas, it grows extremely fast given the rich soil and abundant water. The fruits have a sweet pulp but are hard and contain several large seeds. It is now proving to live up well to the expectations placed upon it as an ornamental for temperate as well as cooler tropical gardens. It has more potential than any other cold hardy Musa in breeding today.

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Propagation: By seeds, shoots, division of rhizomes

Pre-treatment: Grind the seed or slightly cut the membrane in the middle and soak it in warm water for 24 hours.

Sowing: Throughout the year in the purchased soil or in the substrate

Germination: Temperature 22-25 C, sprouts in 1-4 months.

Location: Requires light and moderate humidity.

Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)