Musa sikkimensis

Musa sikkimensis (Darjeeling Banana) is a much later introduction to the English garden. It grows up to about 4 metres high and is comparable with Musa Basjoo in terms of hardiness. The leaves are often marked on the topside and coloured red on the underside, although the markings and colour vary substantially from plant to plant, and can also be affected by growing conditions and the matureness of the plant itself. Musa sikkimensis can easily be propagated from fresh seed, which are sometimes sold as two different types, green tiger and red tiger, the latter being collected close to the Burmese border from plants having a more reddish tinge.

Although the roots of both species should survive the British winter and be ready to shoot the following spring, the top growth of the greener plant are more probable to survive. For those gardeners that live in more colder regions it is definately advisable to wrap plants in fleece or other material (DO NOT use bubble wrap as this prevents air flow and the only thing that you will be presented with the following spring is a pile of damp "mush"). Even placing a good layer of compost or straw around the plants base will protect it from frost and assist towards its survival.