Musa coccinea Seeds | Scarlet Banana
LATIN NAME: Musa coccinea
COMMON NAME: Scarlet Banana
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Scarlet Banana, Musa coccinea is a noteworthy species in the banana family. Scarlet banana stands out even among bold plants of the tropics. Plant is one of great ornamental bananas, flowering young and keeping its vivid colour for weeks, and it is a fine, bold presence of warm garden and large conservatory. It is a plant of deep, rich, well-drained ground. Gardeners value it precisely for this blend of qualities.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the banana family, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. Botanists keep coming back to scarlet banana for erect heads of brilliant scarlet-orange bracts and small, yellow flowers within. In practice, its long garden history means the grower inherits a plant of known and dependable habits.
Uses & Benefits
Scarlet Banana brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Brilliant scarlet-orange bracts are one of great colour shows of warm months, holding their vivid heads for weeks, and big, paddle-shaped leaves give plant its bold, generous presence in border, courtyard and large container. Small, round fruits draw birds of the tropics, and the plant is a fine, easy choice for the conservatory and the sheltered warm wall. Scarlet banana is one of great ornamental bananas, flowering young and keeping its brilliant scarlet-orange bracts for weeks. Mature plants need little attention in a well-chosen position.
The banana is the world’s favorite fruit and a functional one: potassium, vitamin B6, and in the green fruit, resistant starch that feeds gut bacteria; banana blossom and stem are prized vegetables in Asian cooking, and the leaves wrap and perfume countless dishes.
Growing from Seed
Scarlet Banana is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, keep the sowing evenly moist, and give the pot or tray bright light. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Few garden plants carry such a documented history of use as this one does. Among the Musa group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Moisture matters most while plants are young; established plants cope with far more.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Scarlet Banana often pair it with these related subjects: