Plant Min Zone: 5b
Plant Max Zone: 11b
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun
Water / Rainfall: Average, High, Very High
Soil Quality: Average, Rich
Bloom Season: Late Summer, Fall
Flower Color: Yellowish White, Cream
Berry / Fruit Color: None
Spring Foliage Color: Reddish Green
Summer Foliage Color: Reddish Green
Fall Foliage Color: Reddish Green
Evergreen Foliage: No
Winter Interest: No
Scented Flowers: No
Drought Tolerance: Low, Medium
Wet-Feet Tolerance: Medium, High
Humidity Tolerance: High
Wind Tolerance: Low
Poor Soil Tolerance: Clay Soils
Height: 5' - 15'
Width: 5' - 10'
Growth Rate: Medium, Fast
Service Life: Medium: 3-5 years
Maintenance Need: Medium
Spreading Potential: Medium
Yearly Trimming Tips: Trim Perennial to Ground Around First Fall Freeze: No Winter Interest.
Plant Grouping Size: Specimen Planting of 1-3, Small Grouping of 3-5
Best Side of House: South Exposure, East Exposure
Extreme Planting Locations: Base of Retaining Wall Locations, Resistant to Rabbits
Ornamental Features: Multiple Seasons of Interest, Emerges Early in Spring, Large Tropical Foliage / Flowers, Exceptional / Colorful Foliage
Special Landscape Uses: None
Possible Pest Problems: None
Plant Limitations: May get Occasional Winter-kill, Needs Regular Irrigation, Needs Thick Winter Mulch
Create a tropical effect in your landscape with the worlds most cold red-leafed banana. Fast-growing and cold hardy, Red Hardy Banana Tree (Musa sikkimensis 'Ever Red') features reddish maroon striped randomly along the leaves in various widths to create a spectacular show! Leave in ground and mulch 6-9" thick and they will return as perennials every year. In Eastern Kansas, typically our 40 inches of rainfall is sufficient without extra water in good soils. This species will tolerate some degree of drought but fastest growth will occur in rich well-drained soils with extra water and fertilizer provided during the summer. Great for wet areas in full sun or around swimming pools (creates no messes). Plants are typically grow 5-8 feet by the end of summer and upto 15 feet in year two. Banana trees will slowly divide and send up offsets; this is a desirable sign that the banana tree is establishing well. The flowering trunk will die but many new offsets will take its place. Bananas will not tolerate excessively wet soils during dormancy. Sunburning can happen with summer temperatures over 100 degrees F but it will quickly outgrow the damage. Bananas need at least 1/2 day of full sun and protection from excessive winds to properly grow.