Musa Zebrina Blood Banana Plant

About the Musa Zebrina Blood Banana Plant

Musa Zebrina, the blood banana, is one of the most striking ornamental bananas you can grow. Its long, slender leaves are bright green splashed and streaked with deep burgundy red, and the undersides glow wine-red when the sun shines through them. Slim, graceful stems give it a lighter look than fruiting bananas. It may produce small, seedy fruit that is ornamental rather than edible. Perfect for tropical gardens, poolsides and large containers. Available as a rhizome (the most economical option), a young plant or an established plant.

How to Care for It

To plant a rhizome (corm), set it in a pot or hole of rich, airy, well-drained mix with the top at soil level, water once and keep it barely moist and warm until new leaves unfurl. Give bright light with shelter from wind and harsh afternoon sun, steady moisture and a balanced fertiliser every few weeks while growing. Keep above 10 °C for best growth.

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 acuminata 'Zebrina'

Family

Musaceae

Native to

Indonesia (Sumatra); also sold as 'Sumatrana' or blood banana

Mature height

2.5–3.5 m

Plant spacing

2 m

Time to first flowers

1–1.5 years

Light

Sun to part shade

Water

High, keep moist

Cold tolerance

down to 2 °C

Best climates

Humid tropics, Dry tropics, Subtropical

Grows in a pot

Yes

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas