Ensete Ventricosum

Key Information

Cold Hardy – The Abyssinian Banana originates from mountainous regions of Ethiopia which gives it more cold tolerance than most bananas. The leaves are burned by frost, but they remain in good condition down to about +2 deg C. It is a non suckering, huge plant ultimately up to 12m (40ft) in height. Has bright green, paddle shaped leaves with a contrasting red midrib on most although as with all seed grown plants there can be some variation. See picture

Potted or Planted out – It can be kept in a pot or tub, but for optimum growth will need at least 45cm (18inch) diamerter. Alternatively for a huge plant, and astonishing rate of growth plant out in well manured ground with humus dug in.

Feeding – Like Bananas, they are gross feeders and like a constant supply of nutrients, but be careful not to over feed or the leaves can deform. In general the best policy is to feed ‘little and often’. I feed with half strength soluble fertilizer, with lawn feed added to boost the nitrogen level, twice a week in summer and once a week in spring/autumn. (note: do not use ”weed and feed or you will kill the Ensete). They need full sun to be at their best, but can grow in light dappled shade. The wind tolerance is better than most bananas shredding less than many Musa, but a sheltered position will give better looking plants

Cool Growing As these grow at an altitude of 700 to 1600m (2275 to 5,200ft), athough in the tropics, the temperatures are not tropical, so surprisingly this plant is far more at home in our summer weather than you would expect. Maximum temperatures of 14 to 25C will give good to rapid growth, and minimum temps of 5C in late spring through to autumn will not cause growth to stop.

Winter Hardiness – Not really hardy outside in UK. I have tried leaving these outside for the winter in Chalk, Kent, without success. The first frosts burn the leaves but the stem remains green. In more severe winters they freeze right through, but in the milder winters they remain green right the way through to March or April, but then seem to rot. Conclusion : Our winters are just too long and the coldest nights are more than the Wild Ensete can take, However, the the Ensete ventricosum cultivars are bred to produce crops higher up into the mountains, up to 3,300m (10,750ft) and some are capable of taking several degrees of frost.

Overwintering – If planted out and the plant is required for the next year, and this is the way to get large plants, dig out before the first frosts, and pot up in a pot/tub just big enough to accommodate the root ball. Either leave bear root, or Use free draining compost that is dry. If brought into a heated conservatory/greenhouse, carry on growing on the dry side. This plant is not really suitable for overwintering in an unheated greenhouse in the UK as the minimums inside can get too cold. However, the Germans have sucessfully overwintered these in cellars inducing domancy. After overwintering bring out into an unheated greenhouse once temperatures start to warm up and the risk of very cold spells has passed. Watch for signs of growth, and give a little water once seen. Remember that the growth should determine the watering levels, not the other way around. Don’t try to force it by watering as you will most likely just induce rot. Once growing strongly, water and feed as for normal summer conditions. Always use tepid water up to 30C to keep it growing, but keep cool and airy until planted out to avoid weak, leggy growth. Do not plant out until all risk of frost has passed, and warm the soil as much as you can before planting as planting into cold soil may shock the plant setting it back a month or so. In the first year from seed they may reach up to 1.8m (6ft) in height. Second year planted out could see 3.6m (12ft)

Propagation The normal way to propagate new Ensete ventricosum ‘Wild Form’ is from seed which is freely available from many seed stockist. The seed does need a high germination temperature, and fresh seed seems to produce better germination rates, but it is not easy to know if seed is fresh. You will need a good propagator or warm airing cupboard to achieve the 30 to 35C required for best results. Note: :many propagators only give temps to the mid 20sC and this is not generally warm enough to succeed with Ensete. Germination can be from a few weeks to 12 months. If you can’t achieve those temperatures I would advise purchasing plants

Another way of propagating these, although not common, on the wild form, is to force the plant to sucker, but for the ‘Wild green form’ seed is a better method, as you risk killing your donor plant. However, if you have an unusual seed grown plant this would be a method of propagating the unusual characteristics, and is the way all the cultivars originated. A full Ensete propagation page is under contruction to follow shortly.

Forcing the plant to produce suckers for propagation is achieved by killing the meristem growing point. This then forces the corm to produce numerous (between 40 and 200) new growth points. The Ethiopians are the masters of this, having done it for many generations. They cut the stem to around a foot above the ground then scoop out the centre growing point leaving the stem hollow. This is then filled with soil/compost. The time of year this is done is dependent on the cultivar, but mostly their warmest, wettest months. For anyone wishing to use this method to propagate clones of unusual characteristics, try it first on a standard ventricosum, as there is quite a margin for failure 😉

Wow, a monster of a plant, and you can watch it grow!