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MUSA VELUTINA - VELVET - PINK BANANA.
Common nameHeliconia paradise, velvet pink banana, hairy banana, baby pink banana, guineo rosado. Family Musaceae (Banana family). Overview Velvet pink banana is a small ornamental banana plant, originally from India, growing up to a height of no more then 4.5 feet. It has glossy green leaves, 2' long while the flowers are pink to orange. The fruits are reddish pink and velvety; they are very ornamental. Velvet pink banana is an excellent indoor plant and is one of the few bananas that will actually flower and bear fruit indoors. The flowers are female and male. Sometimes there are hermaphrodite flowers; they are self-pollinated. Viable seed is then produced. When ripe, the edible, pink bananas, with a velvety skin split open at the tip and reveal the white flesh. Under good conditions velvet pink banana grows and mature quickly. Hardiness USDA zone 9 A - 11. Propagation Seeds and vegetative. Culture Partial to full sun; rich, moist soil: It needs lot of water. With adequate winter protection, the velvet pink banana grows quick, can survive and even bears fruit as high as zone 7! It can be grown indoors in a container since this is an excellent container-plant. For reasons of pollination it is best to have more than one banana plant. It can be used in tropical cut flower arrangements. |