My Ensente

[Sabal Steve]

About a year old.

[Hammer]

Awesome. I've come to really appreciate that plant. I've got two and plan to add more.

[KennyRE317]

do they really grow that fast? all the ones i've seen in my neighborhood look like they haven't grown in years

[dalmatiansoap]

Nice specimen in great condition! These can get huge, mine is about 5m high now but isnt wind tolerate at all.

[Palm crazy]

Thats a beauty Steve, I have one thats two years old and only 10’ tall and one thats 6 months old thats about 8’ tall. Very easy to grow and very tropical looking.

[Funkthulhu]

Interesting to see where my current "houseplant" is headed. . .

[Hammer]

Interesting to see where my current "houseplant" is headed. . .

Erick, Scott has some in the ground in Blair. He digs them and over winters them inside.

[DoomsDave]

Give them room!

They spread, maybe not like STDs, but aggressively enough. They can rapidly overwhelm small, wimpy plants they're often planted to shelter.

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Once they flower they die... then you have to remove a 300lb rotting trunk...

But before that happens... Wow! a tropical beauty!

[DoomsDave]

Once they flower they die... then you have to remove a 300lb rotting trunk...

But before that happens... Wow! a tropical beauty!

That rotting trunk gets replaced by a multitude of pups, or at least it did for me.

But, a feast for the eyes, no doubt about it.

[Funkthulhu]

Once they flower they die... then you have to remove a 300lb rotting trunk...

But before that happens... Wow! a tropical beauty!

That rotting trunk gets replaced by a multitude of pups, or at least it did for me.

But, a feast for the eyes, no doubt about it.

Interesting, most people I've talked to say it's a coin-flip whether you'll get any pups at all.

[Sabal Steve]

Thanks everyone.

These are super easy here - I give them a little water, and thats it!

The wind does tear them up, but the crown just gets denser over time so you don't notice it so much. Mine is somewhat sheltered, and probably about 15' tall. It doesn't seem to be getting much taller at this point, at least not at the same rate.

I have one in the shade as well, although It doesn't look as nice in my opinion.

Removing it isn't a problem. It's like a big sponge and decomposes very fast, while adding organic matter to your garden. You could easily remove it with a butter knife!

[Al in Kona]

Is this what is sometimes given the common name of Abyssinian banana of which there are different cultivars, some very red leaved forms and others green? They do grow very nice in coastal SoCal and I saw some real beauties in Chapultepec Park in high elevation Mexico City. They seem to prefer somewhat cooler conditions rather than warm humid tropics. I tried growing the red leaved form but its performance was less than desirable and it gradually died. You just don't see them growing in Hawaii so there must be a reason. Maybe they'd do better growing at a higher cooler elevation here.

[Sabal Steve]

Is this what is sometimes given the common name of Abyssinian banana of which there are different cultivars, some very red leaved forms and others green? They do grow very nice in coastal SoCal and I saw some real beauties in Chapultepec Park in high elevation Mexico City. They seem to prefer somewhat cooler conditions rather than warm humid tropics. I tried growing the red leaved form but its performance was less than desirable and it gradually died. You just don't see them growing in Hawaii so there must be a reason. Maybe they'd do better growing at a higher cooler elevation here.

Hey Al,

Yes, that is the common name, but I can't speak to any additional cultivars. I'm not well versed on banana plants (or faux bananas).

My plant requires little, to no, attention though. Maybe yours didn't like the humidity/rain? Mine doesn't burn due to heat - even in the low 90's.

[Sabal Steve]

About a year old.

2014-10-26 10.25.16.jpg

I'm really surprised that you don't see more people with these out here. They're commonly available at the big box retailers, although the independent growers seem to be cheaper.

[Palm crazy]

Nice fatty one!

Here’s my little one, just over a year old and doing good in a pot. The leaves hold lots of water between the leaf and trunk. Should have some good growth now that summer is here.

[Pedro 65]

Fantastic colour Roger , would grow it here if we could, but Quarantine laws is a no no because of the Banana industry

Steve, its looking "great", love all the Red

Pete

[Danilopez89]

It looks awesome Steve! I love the way you trimmed it to make the trunk look like that. Next time I see them for sale at hd I'm buying some.

[Sandy Loam]

I love red abyssinian bananas. Gorgous! However, I see that no one from Florida has posted a comment. Has anyone had success with these in Florida? I tried to grow on one during summer and it died rather quickly. Its death may have been due to too much shade, too much humidity, or too many pests attacking it. It was planted in a spot where I fear that the spidermites did it in.

[Sandy Loam]

...and also, it experienced too much rain here for an ensete.

[Monòver]

This is my ensete.

I planted it last october.

The first three months it had rot ploblems in the roots, but now it is healthy and growing like a rocket.

I love it!

[Monòver]

Thi is the picture, jejeje

[_Keith]

Here is ours. About 8 feet tall. Died to the ground in freezes twice. After one particularly bad freeze it fell over horizontal, root ball out of the ground. That spring when I finally got around to cleaning it up, a 2 inch tall new trunk was growng right out of the side of the fully exposed root ball. I just dug a hole and dropped the root ball in with emerging trunk sticking up. It been fine ever since. One tough plant for sure.

[Josh76]

What a survivor Keith! What's the Phoenix species in that pic?

[_Keith]

What a survivor Keith! What's the Phoenix species in that pic?

That is P. sylvestris. There is a grouping of 3 there, but you can only see 1 in the pic. They suffered pretty badly in the freeze from hell year before last, but are roaring back. The one in the picture is opening 6 new spears at one time right now.

[Josh76]

Thanks - it has a lovely crown

[Sabal Steve]

Here's mine today.  It had a giant flower that I had to cut off because it was tipping the plant over.

[Sabal Steve]

Here's some tough guy holding the flower.

[dalmatiansoap]

Cut it all out. It will take some time to decompose and U will get a nice planting hole for coming Spring

[Palm crazy]

NIce flower stock Steve.  So they only live a few years I see. Here’s an update on my two year old one.  Right now over sized 1 gallon red bananas are on sale here at H.D. for less than 10 bucks. I may get a few more for next year. I hope I can over winter the big one. I have no idea why but the colour here stay red longer. 

 

[Cikas]

Here's mine today.  It had a giant flower that I had to cut off because it was tipping the plant over.

Looks great. But it will start to die soon. They die after flowering. You should had keep the flower on the plant, to get seeds. Your plant will not grow anymore.

[Sabal Steve]

I wondered that, and whether it died after the first flower.  Do these go downhill fast after that?

 

I always chop up the leaves and throw them in my garden.  I imagine that this benefits something.

[Sabal Steve]

NIce flower stock Steve.  So they only live a few years I see. Here’s an update on my two year old one.  Right now over sized 1 gallon red bananas are on sale here at H.D. for less than 10 bucks. I may get a few more for next year. I hope I can over winter the big one. I have no idea why but the colour here stay red longer. 

 

Very nice, great color!  It's nice that these are cheap and available - they would make nice annuals in a lot of spots.

 

Mine looked best when it was about 8 feet tall.  The wind really starts to beat them up after that.

 

That plant was only in the ground for about a year and a half, and provided near instant shade for those that need it.

[Cikas]

I wondered that, and whether it died after the first flower.  Do these go downhill fast after that?

 

I always chop up the leaves and throw them in my garden.  I imagine that this benefits something.

They only flower once, then they die.

They die relatively fast after flowering and bearing fruit.

http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantefg/enseteventrico.htm

 

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2015 by Cikas

[Josh-O]

It's to bad they die when they flower

[Pip]

They grow so quick it doesn't really matter. If allowed to set seed then there will be plenty propagation material to replant and watch the whole process all over again.