What soil does Japanese banana grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, sandy.

Is Japanese banana hardy?

Hardy down to -12 °C (USDA zone 8, RHS H5). Outdoors in this country it only survives with winter protection, or in a pot overwintered frost-free.

How much water does Japanese banana need?

Water need: high. Drought tolerance: low.

How much does Japanese banana cost?

It sells for roughly €12 to €30 in local shops, depending on size.

Japanese banana

Musa basjoo

Japanese banana (Musa basjoo) is a perennial. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -12 °C. Drought tolerance: low. Sold in local shops from about €12.

Illustration of Japanese banana — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

The hardiest banana: its huge, paddle-shaped, bright green leaves give the garden a tropical look within a single summer, and the pups rising from its base slowly thicken it into a clump. The first frost takes the foliage, but it resprouts in spring from its thickly mulched rhizome; if you wrap the pseudostem too, it gets taller every year. Plant it in a sunny, rich, constantly moist spot out of the wind, because wind tears the leaves to ribbons. The fruit is not edible; it is grown purely as an ornamental.

Watch out for

In Central Europe it is not reliable without winter protection. The leaves die at the first frost, the pseudostem stands only a few degrees of frost, and the rhizome survives winters of roughly -10 to -15 °C under a thick mulch; in a colder, snowless winter even a mulched crown can be killed. Before the first hard frosts cut the pseudostem back to 60 to 100 cm, wrap it in straw and fleece or hessian, pile a thick, dry mulch of leaves or straw over the base and keep winter wet off it, because the crown rots in cold, wet ground. If only the rhizome survives it resprouts in late spring and stays lower that year. In cold districts it is safer in a tub, overwintered frost-free. Wind shreds the leaves, and it stops growing in drought.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: High
Care: High
Size after 10 years: 3.5 m × 2.5 m
Hardiness: down to -12 °C
Foliage: Deciduous

Group	Perennial
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 2.5 m
Ultimate size	1.8–5 m × 1.8–4.3 m
Hardiness	down to -12 °C (USDA 8, RHS H5)
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowering	July–August, yellow
Water need	High
Drought tolerance	Low
Maintenance	High
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no data
Spreading	Medium
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	200 cm
For dogs	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For children	no data
Typical price	from about €12

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size	Typical price
30-60 cm	approx. €25
40-60 cm	approx. €12
90-120 cm	approx. €20
90-110 cm	approx. €30

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 13, 2026 · How our data is made

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