Musa balbisiana aka Plantain

Musa balbisiana is a large perennial in the banana family. Common names include plantain and plantain banana. It comes from tropical and subtropical Asia, including India and southern China. It grows in forests, along forest edges, and beside water. People grow it for food and other useful parts. It is also a parent of cultivated bananas and plantains.

The plant forms upright clumps and grows fast. Garden plants reach about 15 feet [4.6 metres] tall and wide. Listed garden sizes range from 7–18 feet [2.1–5.5 metres]. Other accounts give heights up to 20 feet [6 metres]. Its green leaves stay on the plant in warm conditions. They stand upright and have a broad paddle shape. Leaves can reach 6–10 feet [1.8–3 metres] long. Their overlapping bases form a pseudostem, rather than a woody trunk. Wind can tear the leaves and leave them ragged.

White or cream flowers sit within red-purple bracts. The flower stalk can reach 8 feet [2.4 metres] long. One source places bloom from mid to late summer. Curved fruits start grey-green, then turn yellow as they ripen. Many fruits contain seeds, which limit their appeal when raw. Cooks boil, bake, fry, or roast the ripe fruit. They also use young fruit in salads and pickles. The underground stem serves as a cooked vegetable. The inner stem and male flower clusters go into curries.

Give this plant full sun or some light shade. It needs rich soil that drains well but stays moist. Regular feeding supports growth during the growing season. A site sheltered from strong winds helps protect the leaves. It prefers soil with a mildly acid to neutral pH. NC State lists USDA zones 8–11, but frost kills the foliage. In North Carolina, plants die back to ground level in winter. Mulch can help protect outdoor roots after stems are cut back. Container plants can spend winter indoors in a large, sunny room. Reduce water and feeding during that time.

The bold leaves suit a lawn accent or edible garden. The plant also grows in containers and attracts pollinators and songbirds. People use its leaves to wrap food or as plates. Its stems supply fibre, and the plant yields dye. Growers can make new plants by division. Outdoors, grasshoppers, borers, and root nematodes can cause trouble. Anthracnose, wilt, and mosaic virus can also affect it. Indoors, watch for aphids, mites, mealybugs, and scale. The use references report no known hazards. They note medicinal fruit use, but give no treatment details.