Scarlet Torch Banana Tree (musa coccinea)

ABOUT THIS ORNAMENTAL FLOWERING BANANA PLANT. Scarlet Torch Banana Tree (musa coccinea) – Most Popular Ornamental – Fast growing Scarlet Torch is the brightest and most unusual of all the flowering bananas. This rare species can grow to its mature height of five feet and bloom in six months time, while sending up numerous off-sets to create a full stand in a year. Here at the nursery, zone 8, they die back when temperatures reach freezing and send up fresh stems usually at the beginning of March. The growth rate of Scarlet Torch will vary greatly depending on soil type, sunlight, temperature and other factors. A few leaves are often trimmed prior to shipping to reduce transpiration and travel stress. QUICK SPECS OUTDOOR Zone 8a-11 PATIO Zone 4a-11 SOIL TYPE Rich Moist % SUN 80-100% POT SIZE 2x2x7″ Deep INCLUDES One Plant WHY YOU NEED ORNAMENTAL BANANAS IN YOUR LANDSCAPE. Bananas are easy to grow plants with lush foliage and an unmistakably tropical appearance. Highly versatile in the landscape and in the kitchen, ornamental bananas come in a large variety of flower colors and sizes allowing you to select the plant that is right for your location. In addition to creating the ultimate tropical garden appearance, bananas can contribute to your culinary adventures. The entire plant can be utilized for a variety of recipes. The obvious is the tasty ripe fruit, the flower is often enjoyed steamed or battered and deep fried and leaves are excellent for wrapping and roasting meats, rice and vegetables instead of using foil or parchment on the grill. At any time you can get a fresh start. Bananas are clump forming plants often producing 3-5 off-sets per year. If your stand has suffered wind damage or you simply want to clean it up, this can easily be done with a large sharp kitchen knife and without the need for garden tools. If your stand is getting too large or you simply want to get a fresh start, simply cut all stalks off at ground level, the plant will then regenerate with new offsets. BANANA PLANT CARE. Banana plants are easy to grow, tropical flowering plants that produce multiple hands of delicious fruit. Bananas will happily grow, flower and fruit in a pot or in-ground. They add the ultimate tropical accent to any outdoor space, garden or patio. In cooler zones a containerized banana plant can be relocated indoors for the winter months. When you receive your new banana plant, there is no need to worry about planting right away. Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a bucket with about a half inch of water in the bottom and moving it to a shady location, simply keep moist. This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new banana plant. CONTAINER SIZE. All banana varieties grow very well in containers, indoors or on the patio. Smaller varieties grow best indoors in 12″ to 18″ diameter pots while larger varieties need enough room for growth, generally a 18″ to 36″ diameter, 14″ deep container will suffice. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your banana will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow, at that point it is time for a larger pot. SOIL. Scarlet Torch Banana plants enjoy a well drained, general potting mix easily found at your local box store. Remember try to stay away from arid or wet, mucky soils. FERTILIZER. Bananas are heavy feeders, to help establish your new Scarlet Torch Banana Plant, fertilize ten inches away from the base, four times annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow at a slower pace. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the banana. Its best to use a brand you know and trust. GROW ZONE & LIGHT. Best outdoors if grown in zone 8a-11, find your zone here. This banana plant requires 80-100% sunlight. Depending on your location full sun is often best. In the northern end of their grow zone, containerized Scarlet Torch Banana Plants should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. In-ground plants require heavy mulching and often die-back, allowing the plant to regenerate and send up fresh, new plants in the spring. The patio zone is 4b-11 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before winter. BEFORE YOU PLANT OUTDOORS. At the nursery these bananas are grown under 20-40% shade cloth. If you plant this banana in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn. It is best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting. WHAT IS THE SHIPPING SIZE. All Scarlet Torch Banana Plants for sale will vary in size. In the spring, plants are often smaller than plants shipped in the fall. Plants designated with a sku ending in -4, -6 or -8 will arrive in a standard 4 inch, 6 inch or 8 inch round growers pot respectively. Our new, reusable, recyclable deep plugs are 7 or 9 inches deep and 2 or 2.5 inches in width. Products growing in these pots are easy to transplant and allow for deeper roots and faster growth, they are designated with a sku ending in -7 or -9. (Note: The item sku number can be found just below the buy button.) The color and style of these pots may vary. If we are out of a particular size item, we may ship a larger size at no additional charge. For more information, click the “best packaging” link at the bottom of this page. Note: Before leaving, bananas are inspected, watered, and pruned. Larger plants, generally those that ship in 8″ pots, will be topped to 36″ or 48″ overall, depending on the variety, if necessary, to facilitate shipping. Your new plants’ pot is then bagged to ensure that the soil stays in the pot and not loose in the box. Plants are tissue or kraft paper wrapped and generally secured in place with natural biodegradable peanuts. You may want to order your Scarlet Torch Banana Tree (musa coccinea) online now while they are in stock, supplies are limited.