The Plantain is a herbaceous perennial, a member of the banana family (Musaceae), and native to the humid climate of Asia, India, and southern China. It is a large plant, maturing to 15 feet high with a similar spread. It is noted for its large (10 foot) paddle-like leaves and cream colored flowers. The resulting edible fruit are yellow and about 5 inches long. The genus name honors Antonia Musa, Roman physician of the 1st century B.C. The species name honors Giovanni Battista Balbis (1765-1831), Italian botanist and politician. Plant in full sun to partial shade in moist well drained, organically rich soil. The soil should be kept consistently moist with regular applications of fertilizer during the growing season. Provide protection from strong winds. If grown in a container, use a potting soil mix with good drainage. This plant is not frost tolerant and will die back to the ground in winter in North Carolina. To overwinter an outdoor plant, cut stems back to 2 feet after frost kills the leaves and mulch to protect the roots. To overwinter indoors, grow the plant in a container that can be taken indoors before first frost. Place in a large sunny room with reduced water and fertilization. Propagate this plant by division. The large leaves of this plant grow tattered in windy areas. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: If grown outdoors, watch for grasshoppers, borers and root nematodes. Susceptible to anthracnose, wilt and mosiac virus. If grown indoors, watch for aphids, spider mites, mealybugs and scale.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
Mature size
Height: 7 ft. 0 in. - 18 ft. 0 in. | Width: 7 ft. 0 in. - 18 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Spatulate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Six to ten foot, paddle-shaped, upright leaves. Leaf sheathes overlap to form a trunk-like pseudostem (false stem).
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower detail
White to cream colored flowers surrounded by reddish-purple bracts on 8 foot long inflorescences.
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
> 3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Grey-green, curved fruits that mature to yellow.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical Asia and India east to southern China
Distribution
Introduced into Hawaii.
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Edible fruit
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Flowers; Stems
Edibility
Fruits are edible when cooked when ripe. Undergound stems are also eaten as a vegetable. Male flower clusters and inner stem are cooked and used in curries.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Leaves used as plates or to wrap food.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Houseplants; Lawn
Landscape theme
Edible Garden
Design feature
Accent; Flowering Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#tropical tree #edible tree #large leaves #fast growing #flowering tree #edible fruit #ornamental tree #white flowers #container plant #yellow fruits #indoor tree