Banana plant
Musa acuminata
Also called Dwarf banana and Musa
Houseplant · Trees & big statementsThe split leaves are meant to split — that is how the plant survives wind, not damage you caused. It will not fruit indoors, so grow it for the leaf.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 4 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Bright, some direct sun
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- Very high
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out for the summer RHS H1C, to 5°C
- Size
- 2.5 m tall · 1.5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Southeast Asia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsSafe for pets
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A fine sandy stippling across the underside of the biggest leaf, and webbing in the seam of the newest furled one.Glasshouse red spider mite · pest
- A new leaf unfurls whole and is split to the midrib within a week — a draught or a doorway, not a disease, and the plant is unharmed.Leaf shredding · disorder