How to grow and care for banana plant

Banana plants are frost-tender, so are only suited to outdoor growing in the mildest areas and even then, usually need moving indoors in autumn, or significant winter protection, to survive. Alternatively, grow them in a greenhouse or conservatory.

Where to grow bananas

Grow banana plants in full sun to partial shade in fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Choose a very sheltered site as the large leaves are vulnerable to being shredded by wind.

In warm, mild parts of the UK, plant a banana in the ground and plan to protect it over winter. Alternatively, grow a dwarf banana plant in a large container that you can move indoors when temperatures start to drop in autumn.

How to plant bananas

To plant a banana in the ground, first improve the soil by digging over to at least two spades’ depths and mixing in plenty of rich compost. Dig a planting hole slightly larger than the rootball, than plant with the top of the rootball at soil level. Firm in and water well.

To grow a banana plant in a container, choose a pot no more than twice as large as its present pot size. Use a good quality, loam-based compost, such as John Innes Number 3.

How to care for a banana plant

Banana plant care is not complicated – simply water and feed regularly to encourage lush growth, and protect from freezing temperatures in winter.

Water regularly, ensuring the roots never go short of water, though also be careful not to over-water bananas, as they can struggle in waterlogged soil. This is especially important for bananas grown in pots – stand the pot on gravel or pot feet to encourage excess water to drain. In summer, feed every fortnight using a liquid fertiliser high in potassium.

If your potted banana plant has outgrown its container, repot into a pot the next size up, in spring.

In autumn, move pot-grown plants under cover, such as into a greenhouse or conservatory. Alternatively, cut the plant back and keep it in an outbuilding, if that’s the only space available.

In this clip from Gardeners' World, Monty Don adds a banana plant to the Jewel Garden at Longmeadow. He explains how to prepare, site, and plant a banana and how to look after it over winter.

How to protect banana plants in winter

Keeping a banana plant outdoors all year round is possible only in milder areas and in very sheltered sites. In autumn, cut back all but a few of the newest leaves and wrap the stem in insulating material, such as horticultural fleece or sacking stuffed with straw. Protect the roots with a thick (minimum 10cm) mulch of bark or similar.

However, this is no guarantee of the plants’ survival, as prolonged periods of frost could still kill the plant. Sometimes frost kills off the stem of a banana plant, but new growth may come from the roots, so don’t be too hasty to get rid of an apparently dead plant after winter.

How to propagate a banana plant

Look for small, suckering shoots at the base of your banana plant, which are known as offsets. New plants can be grown from these – simply separate them from the parent plant in spring and pot them up to grow on.

Pests and diseases

Banana plants that are growing in a conservatory or greenhouse may suffer from pests that include mealybug and red spider mite. You can use a biological control to deal with these pests.

Outdoors, wind damage can tear the leaves. If the torn edges become too brown and unsightly, cut off the entire leaf.

Cold, wet weather can cause rot. You can avoid this by ensuring the soil drains freely, and by protecting from frost.

Banana plant varieties to grow

Japanese banana (Musa basjoo) is grown for its enormous leaves, which can measure up to 3m in length. In the right conditions, flowers appear in summer, and sometimes small fruits will follow, but these aren't edible. Height x Spread: 4m x 2.5m

• Buy Musa basjoo from Thompson & Morgan

Chinese yellow banana (Musa lasiocarpa) was believed to be extinct, but was rediscovered in the remote Himalayas. It has typical banana leaves, but the yellow flowers are more striking than its Japanese cousin. The plant dies back after flowering, but new shoots will appear and can be grown on to replace the parent plant. H x S: 1.5m x 1m

• Buy Musa lasiocarpa from Big Plant Nursery

Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ is a smaller variety of the commercially grown banana, with large, slightly reddish leaves. H x S: 2.5m x 1.5m

• Buy Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ from Crocus

Musa acuminata ‘Zebrina’ is a medium height cultivar that is good for containers, with highly ornamental, red-striped leaves. H x S: 1.5m x 1m

• Buy Musa acuminata ‘Zebrina’ from House of Kojo

Frequently asked questions

Is banana a tree or a plant?
While often referred to as banana tree plant, due to it forming a trunk-like stem and reaching several metres in height, bananas are herbaceous plants.

Can banana plants survive in the UK?
Banana plants are frost tender, so are unlikely to survive winter without protection. Some of the hardier varieties, including Musa basjoo, have the best chance of surviving short periods of frost. However, you will still need to protect them. Either grow them in a pot, which you can move indoors in autumn, or wrap outdoor-grown plants to protect them against frost.