Looking to add a banana to your (house)plant collection? It isn’t the easiest plant to care for (when you consider the size and climate requirements), but if you’re up for the challenge, you can certainly grow your own banana plant indoors or outdoors—and even get fruit from it!
But how do you keep yours alive? Can you grow it in a pot inside your home, or put it on the balcony? Or is it simply better to plant it in the garden?
I grew an entire grove of banana plants when I lived in Southern California, and now keep a banana plant indoors as a (very large) houseplant. Thirteen years later, you could say I know a thing or two about growing banana plants in all conditions.
Here’s everything you need to know to care for your own banana plant and maximize your chances of getting fruit.
Disclosure: If you shop from my article or make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive commissions on some of the products I recommend.
Growing banana plants indoors can be an incredibly rewarding experience With their huge, vibrant leaves and fun, tropical vibe, they make a striking addition to any indoor garden
However, banana plants have some very specific care requirements. Getting their growing conditions just right is key to keeping your indoor banana plant lush, green, and healthy.
Follow these 10 expert tips to successfully grow a thriving banana plant indoors
1. Provide Plenty of Bright, Direct Light
Banana plants need a lot of light to grow their huge leaves and produce fruit. Place your banana plant near an east-facing window where it will get 4-6 hours of direct morning sunlight. West-facing windows also work well. Avoid north-facing windows as the light there is too dim.
If you don’t have a suitable window, use grow lights to supplement natural light. LED grow lights placed 6-12 inches above the plant will provide enough brightness for healthy growth.
2. Water Thoroughly When Soil is Dry
Check the soil moisture by sticking your finger in the soil. Banana plants should be watered when the top 1-2 inches of soil becomes dry. Water them thoroughly until water drains freely from the bottom drainage holes. This ensures the entire root zone is hydrated.
Let the excess water drain away fully to avoid root rot. In winter when growth slows, you’ll only need to water every 10-14 days.
3. Ensure Proper Drainage
Banana plants need soil that drains quickly to avoid waterlogged, oxygen-deprived roots. Use a potting mix formulated for tropical plants with added perlite, bark chips, or pumice to improve drainage. Make sure your pot has several drainage holes at the bottom.
Place a saucer under the pot to protect your flooring. Empty the saucer after watering so the banana plant doesn’t sit in stagnant water.
4. Fertilize Regularly During Growth Periods
Feed indoor banana plants every 2-3 weeks in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength. This provides key nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for lush growth. Stop fertilizing in fall and winter when plants go dormant.
Alternatively, use a slow release fertilizer applied at the start of the growing season so nutrients are released over several months. Reapply as directed on the packaging.
5. Increase Humidity Levels
Bananas originate in warm, humid tropical regions. Replicate these conditions for your indoor banana by misting the leaves daily and placing the pot on a pebble tray. Misting provides immediate humidity while the pebbles slowly evaporate water.
Aim to keep humidity around 60-80%. You can also group plants together or use a humidifier to raise the humidity in the whole room.
6. Maintain Temperatures Between 70-80°F
Banana plants thrive in warm conditions between 70-80°F. Avoid drafty areas and keep them away from air conditioning vents which can be damaging. Move plants to a warmer room in winter if needed.
Using grow lights will also increase the ambient temperature. A thermometer placed next to the plant lets you easily monitor the temperature in the microclimate around the banana.
7. Gently Wipe Leaves to Remove Dust
The large, flat leaves of banana plants are great at collecting dust! Wipe both sides of the leaves every 2-3 weeks with a soft, damp cloth to remove dust buildup. This allows the leaves to function and photosynthesize efficiently.
Inspect for pests while cleaning. Watch for spider mites, aphids, scale and mealybugs which can infest banana plants. Isolate and treat any infected plants to avoid spreading.
8. Provide a Sturdy Support for the Heavy Stems
As banana plants grow, their soft stems become very heavy and can snap under their own weight. Stake or trellis the plant to provide support and prevent toppling over.
Use a tall, sturdy stake pushed firmly into the soil. Attach the main stem to the stake loosely with plant-safe twist ties or velcro strips which won’t cut into the stem as it expands.
9. Divide Rootbound Plants for Continued Growth
Banana plants tend to become pot-bound over time. This restricts root growth and causes stunted plants. When plants look rootbound, divide them to encourage new growth.
Carefully remove the plant and tease apart root balls with your fingers. Replant divisions in new pots using fresh potting mix. Water well while they establish.
10. Monitor Regularly for Issues
Keep a close eye on your banana plant’s health. Look for signs of problems like:
- Dry, brown leaf tips indicating insufficient humidity
- Yellow, wrinkled leaves showing under or overwatering
- Slow growth and small new leaves meaning inadequate light or nutrients
- Wilting or rot pointing to damaged roots
Catching issues early makes them easier to correct and keeps your banana plant thriving!
With the right care, banana plants make fabulous indoor specimen plants. Their huge, paddle-shaped leaves and fun tropical appeal add a bold, exotic flair wherever they grow. Give your banana plant the proper growing conditions outlined here and you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous, vibrant plant that makes a stunning statement!
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Types of banana plants
As I mentioned, there are over a thousand banana cultivars, so I could dedicate a whole book to describing all of them! Some are edible, some are ornamentals, some are both. There are loads of funky varieties to be found, like one that produces pink fruits (Musa velutina) and even variegated banana plants.
When it comes to growing a banana plant as an ornamental, the most important thing to remember is that there are large and small varieties.
Some full-sized species of Musa naturally grow to up to 30 feet high or even more, which means they aren’t really indoor, balcony, or patio material. Something like a Dwarf Cavendish, however, doesn’t tend to surpass 10 feet.
Here are a few types of banana plants you may come across at your local garden center:
- Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Cavendish’: Up to 10 feet high, but usually smaller. Produces large bunches of sweet fruit.
- Musa basjoo (cold-hardy banana tree): Also known as the Japanese banana. Its roots will survive winters as far north as USDA zone 5. Grown as an ornamental only.
- Musa ‘Dwarf Red’: A beautiful little plant with both partially red leaves as well as dark red-skinned fruit!
- Musa ‘Florida’: If you have some money to burn ($150+ for a baby plant), you can get this beautiful and coveted green-and-white cultivar. Apparently, even the fruit is variegated!
- Musa acuminata ‘Grand Nain’: You’ll find the fruits of this one in grocery stores worldwide, like those by Chiquita.
- Musa acuminata × balbisiana ‘Blue Java’ (ice cream banana): This species grows to up to 15 feet tall and produces delicious, custardy fruit with a beautiful blue-green skin.
- Musa ‘Siam Ruby’: Almost entirely red leaves with barely any green. The fruit isn’t that palatable, but with those foliage colors, who cares?!
- Musa ‘Pisang Ceylon’: Produced by a company called AgriStarts as an improvement on Musa ‘Mysore’, which was too sensitive to Banana Streak Virus. The tasty small fruits are called lady fingers.
- Musa ‘Rajapuri’: Small (less than 10 feet tall) banana plant that produces delicious, small fruits.
- Musa acuminata var. Zebrina (blood banana): Very decorative ornamental with red-streaked green leaves.
- Musa ‘Dwarf Puerto Rican’: Here’s one for those who love plantains (cooking bananas) as much as I do. It’s diminutive, but produces fruit perfect for frying or making banana chips.
Some banana plants are not banana plants at all.
For example, one member of the family Musaceae you might find for sale is the Red Abyssinian banana, which doesn’t actually produce edible fruit but is cultivated for its nutritious corm. It’s not a Musa, but instead called Ensete ventricosum. It’s very decorative and its care requirements are similar to that of true bananas!
Another example is the golden lotus banana, the sole member of the genus Musella in the family Musaceae. This one was named for its beautiful yellow blooms.
Growing a banana plant outdoors
As you probably guessed, the answer to that question depends entirely on where you live, as well as what kind of banana plant you’re growing. It also depends on whether you’re growing for fruit or for the plant’s ornamental value.
If you want to be able to keep the plant outdoors year-round in a cooler zone, you’ll have to go for the hardy varieties that don’t produce nice fruit.
The most cold-hardy bananas are Musa basjoo and the somewhat harder to find Musa sikkimensis (Darjeeling banana), which hails from high-altitude regions in Bhutan and India. The roots on these species can survive in USDA zone 5 or up.
Even though the stems will die off, they come right back in spring. Since bananas are quick growers, yours will be back to last year’s glory before you know it!
Basjoo and Darjeeling bananas are grown for their ornamental value, not their unpalatable, seed-filled fruits. If you do want to keep a fruiting banana outside year-round, this can easily be done in zone 10, but becomes more difficult in cooler zones.
Depending on the cultivar (check before you buy), some, like ‘Dwarf Orinoco’ will survive as far north as zone 7b.
Mulching your banana plant thickly in winter, using frost covers, and any other protection you can offer can help the corm (or even the whole plant) make it through until spring.
4 Tips To Grow The Most BEAUTIFUL Banana Plants EVER Down To ZONE 5!
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