Banana Tree Highlight

Oh how I love these banana trees. For those of you who follow me consistently on Instagram, you have probably heard the tale of my banana trees but I thought I’d write up a little spotlight on them….well, because I can. I feel like the adventures and misadventures of being a plant mom is what this blog is all about!

So back in June, I decided I wanted to invest in a banana tree to add some more tropical foliage to my patio and house. I planned on growing it as large as I could during the summer months and then bring the tree inside during the winter (since Portland often dips below freezing). So I began my search.

I went on Etsy and found a seller who was selling Musa banana trees, and for $25 I thought this was a steal! These trees can grow up to 18ft tall in the right conditions, so hey, this seemed like a great price for a large tree start. Little did I know… it was actually a listing for three banana tree starts. Oops.

Well, they arrived kinda beat up, but that’s to be expected for plants sent through the mail. It’s really difficult to get them to ship and arrive completely unscathed, but banana trees traditionally grow pretty quickly so I absolutely was not concerned.

Here are my little babes back in June, with the newest and biggest leaves 4 and 5 inches wide and the plant itself standing a little over a foot tall.

Now after an entire summer of direct sunlight every single day, constant watering, now I have these luscious babes. The banana trees are standing about 4 feet tall, and leaves are about 10+ inches wide!

With the Portland winters, the new trees won’t be able to stay outside, so I have UV lights setup in a nice warm corner of the house. With the solid 8 hrs of UV light everyday, let’s see how big these babies get before next summer!