Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Ensete ventricosum 'Maureli'
Red Abyssinian Banana
- Family
- Musaceae
- Height
- Up to 20 feet
- Width
- Up to 10 feet
- Flower color
- Rarely flowers in cultivation; when it does, it produces creamy white to yellowish flowers
- Foliage color
- Large, glossy leaves with deep burgundy-red and green hues
- Bloom time
- Infrequent
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low to moderate; requires protection from strong winds to prevent leaf damage
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 9 to 11
- Wildlife
- Not specifically known to attract wildlife
About this plant
Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' is a tropical plant native to East Africa, particularly Ethiopia. This cultivar is known for its ornamental appeal, featuring large, paddle-shaped leaves that exhibit a rich blend of deep burgundy and green hues. The vibrant foliage adds a dramatic touch to gardens and landscapes, creating a lush, tropical ambiance.
While Ensete ventricosum can produce flowers, 'Maurelii' rarely blooms outside its native habitat. In regions with suitable climates, mature plants may develop large, pendulous inflorescences composed of creamy white to yellow flowers enclosed by reddish-brown bracts. However, in most ornamental settings, the plant is primarily grown for its foliage rather than its blooms.
Works well in
Borders · Cottage Gardens · Cut Flower Gardens
Companion plants
Ferns · Astilbes · Foxgloves · Bergenias · Sedums · Columbines
Design tip
Use it as a steady framework plant, repeating it along a bed to tie separate plantings together. It takes sun or light shade, which makes it useful along the changing light of a bed edge or a partly shaded border.
