Bárbaro Cooking Banana Plant (Plátano Bárbaro)

About the Bárbaro Cooking Banana Plant (Plátano Bárbaro)

Plátano Bárbaro is a robust, large-fruited banana sold in Mexico under this name and grown above all for the kitchen. Its long, firm fingers are made for cooking: fried green as tostones or chips, boiled in soups, or fried ripe and caramelised to serve with rice, beans and crema, the way Mexican home cooks love it. The plant is vigorous and sturdy, a dependable producer for hot, humid gardens and small plots, and it fills a corner with lush tropical foliage while it grows. Available as a rhizome (the most economical option), a young plant or an established plant. Ask us on WhatsApp for photos of the plants.

How to Care for It

To plant a rhizome (corm), dig a hole about 50 cm wide and deep, mix in compost, and set the corm with its top just at soil level; water once and then sparingly until leaves appear. Bananas want full sun, shelter from strong wind, rich soil and abundant water without waterlogging. Feed monthly with a potassium-rich fertiliser, mulch heavily and remove damaged leaves.

From statement ornamentals like variegated Musa, Siam Ruby and the blood banana to fruiting red, apple and Cavendish bananas. Every variety comes in three sizes: a rhizome (the most affordable way to start), a young plant, or an established plant for instant impact.

Growing Profile

Botanical name

Musa (AAB group), cooking-type banana sold as 'Bárbaro'

Family

Musaceae

Native to

Banana origins lie in Southeast Asia; 'Bárbaro' is the name under which this variety is sold in Mexico

Mature height

3.5–5 m

Plant spacing

3 m

Years to first fruit

1–1.5 years

Light

Full sun

Water

High, keep moist

Cold tolerance

down to 2 °C

Best climates

Humid tropics, Dry tropics

Grows in a pot

Best in the ground

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas