{"product_id":"banana-abyssinian-ensete-ventricosum","title":"Abyssinian Banana - Ensete ventricosum","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbyssinian Banana - Ensete ventricosum\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBigger and bolder than any true banana used ornamentally, the Abyssinian banana grows a single thick swollen trunk topped with enormous upright paddle leaves that can each reach two to three metres. \u003cem\u003eEnsete ventricosum\u003c\/em\u003e does not sucker, so it stays as one clean architectural specimen rather than spreading into a clump, and it produces no edible fruit. It comes from the highlands of Ethiopia and East Africa, so it wants rich soil, steady moisture and, above all, shelter from wind that will otherwise shred those leaves into ribbons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy Abyssinian Banana\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLeaf Scale\u003c\/strong\u003e: Individual leaves of two to three metres create a sense of scale nothing else in a temperate garden matches.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Trunk Habit\u003c\/strong\u003e: Non-suckering, so it holds a clean solitary form instead of colonising the bed.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRapid Effect\u003c\/strong\u003e: Grows very quickly in warm weather, delivering a full tropical presence within one or two seasons.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUpright Posture\u003c\/strong\u003e: Leaves are held distinctly more upright than a true banana, giving a vase-like silhouette.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSwollen Base\u003c\/strong\u003e: The thick, flared pseudostem is a striking feature in its own right at ground level.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTropical Courtyard\u003c\/strong\u003e: A single plant in a sheltered courtyard sets the subtropical character of the whole space.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoolside Feature\u003c\/strong\u003e: The bold upright leaf mass reads well against water and paving in warm-climate gardens.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge Container Display\u003c\/strong\u003e: Grown in a big pot it can be moved to shelter over winter in cooler districts.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage Contrast Group\u003c\/strong\u003e: Set behind fine-textured grasses and gingers for a deliberate scale contrast.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 2.5m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 3 to 4m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring and early summer, once soil is warm\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deep, rich, well drained soil with heavy organic matter; it is hungry and thirsty but will rot in cold waterlogged ground\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water generously and often through the warm months and feed regularly, as growth of this speed cannot be sustained on a lean diet. Position out of wind, protect from frost completely, and expect the plant to flower once after several years and then die, which is normal for the species.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 to 6m in warm climates, less where the season is short\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3 to 4m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fast\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evergreen in frost-free climates\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade, with shelter from wind essential\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e Highlands of Ethiopia and eastern Africa\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Insignificant, on a large drooping inflorescence produced once at the end of the plant's life\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"45L","offer_id":59795363332382,"sku":"ND-0191-45L","price":800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/IC9T5WBsFv3giN6hHBPcI_JozIEicm.jpg?v=1787314314","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/banana-abyssinian-ensete-ventricosum","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}