Banana Plant

[starone]

Help needed again! Someone has given me a banana plant (only leaves, no bananas). Does anyone know how big it will grow? I do not want it to take over the garden, but a critical neighbour (yes I have got one) has said it will grow very tall and have very large leaves. If this is the case I will have to be careful where I plant it - don't want to be bad friends with anyone! She also said I would not be able to prune it. Must be very tough!

[Old_Geezer]

I think you would be lucky to grow it in the garden. I'm no gardening expert but as a youth I bought one that was growing in a pot in my parents' living room. When they decided to dump it in the hall, it died. I can't see it coping with a British winter. You may need to mollycoddle it.

[emeritus]

This should help

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=311

[starone]

Thanks very much emeritus and oldgeezer. Looks as if it might need a bit of looking after. I have read the website you suggested emeritus. Now that I can see what it will do I will be able to plant it somewhere that I think might be appropriate and won't interfere with the neighbour's garden. Can't junk it as the giver will be upset, can't plant it or the neighbour might complain. Just can't win!!

[Chipchopper]

Hi starone,
I'm guessing you probably have musa basjoo which is the hardiest of the bananas, as it comes from alpine areas of Japan. If you google that name and then click on images, it will give you some idea of the size you can expect.
I grew one of these at my old place and it was a conversation piece for anyone passing by, its leaves alone can be 6 feet long!, mine reached about 16-17 feet in height.
Botanically, it's actually a herb rather than a tree and will die down at the end of the growing season and sprout up again next year with a fresh clump of stems, as thick as your thigh. Sometimes known as the walking tree, because it will come up in a different place every year.
Although reasonably hardy, it will need some protection from frost, over the winter, I used to cut the stems down then use the leaves as a mulch to protect the area around the roots.
Mine flowered one year and I had some small (unedible) fruits which was very unusual to look at. The flowers came out on a kind of arm, which snapped off in the wind.

[jomifl]

Banana trees (species unknown)are quite common around here (SW France) It can get very cold (occasionaly-15C) but they seem to survive. A friend has a clump of them in his garden which gives it an exotic look. They are about 10 metres high. You can always cut it down if it gets out of hand.