Red Abyssinian/Ethiopian Banana (Musa ensete rubra)

Ensete ventricosum Maurelii

This red Abyssinian banana produces huge, paddle-shaped, bright olive-green leaves, flushed reddish-burgundy on a red-tinted 'trunk'. A spectacular specimen plant for an exotic-style garden in a frost-free area, where temperatures fall below 7°C (45°F) it's best grown in a large temperate greenhouse, shaded from hot sun.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: humus-rich soil (or loam-based potting compost - John Innes no. 3 for container-grown specimens)
• Rate of growth: fast-growing
• Flowering period: June to August
• Flower colour: white
• Other features: the white summer flowers are concealed within bronze-red bracts
• Hardiness: tender

• Garden care: During the growing season water regularly and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser each month. In frost-prone areas lift outdoor specimens before the first frosts, reducing the top-growth to the newest 2 or 3 leaves and cutting back the long roots. Overwinter under glass in a frost-free greenhouse until all risk of frost has passed
• Goes well with: Trachycarpus fortunei, Lobelia 'Queen Victoria', Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff', Verbena bonariensis, Trachelospermum jasminoides, Fargesia nitida