I'm a real show-stopper in any tropical-style garden. I love being in a border alongside other plants, and I'm also happy in pots. My dark glossy purple leaves are thick and almost like rubber. I'll thrive in a typical British summer, and in a good year I can grow to about a metre-and-a-half tall. So if you put me in a large pot I'll appear even bigger! Yes, I'm a banana plant. No, I won't produce any bananas here in Britain, our climate just isn't suitable. I can be super-expensive in garden centres because I'm quite difficult to propogate in Britain, and many of my brothers and sisters that you see for sale have been imported. My friends at Mango propogated me here in Britain, and you can treat me the same as one of your usual summer bedding plants. I trace my ancestry to Ethiopia, where my brothers and sisters still play an important role in people's lives today. We're used for food, to make twine, and even as packing material. I've been propagated and lived my whole life here in Britain, and will enjoy any weather our summer and autumn throw at me.
Ensete Ventricosum Maurelii (red banana)
I love a bright, warm, sunny spot away from strong winds. In the wild I can get buffeted by strong winds that can tear my leaves, and some people think that looks nice - everyone has different tastes, don't they? I'm happiest in the border but if you put me in a large pot and give me plenty of water and feed I'll look great all summer.