Musella lasiocarpa - Golden Lotus Banana

Musella lasiocarpa is also called Chinese dwarf banana or golden lotus, referring to its habit and its magnificent golden-yellow inflorescence. This beautiful perennial shrub resembles a banana tree, its close relative. It is distinguished by its dwarf habit and its unique flowering, which can last several months. This relatively hardy plant produces numerous shoots, forming beautiful groups over time with lush foliage. It is resistant to wind, cold, and occasionally dry soils. It is easy to grow in large containers, indoors or outdoors. It appreciates fertile, moist, but well-drained soils and thrives in full sun or partial shade.

Musella lasiocarpa belongs to the Musaceae family, native to China (Yunnan province) and Vietnam, at altitudes up to 2,500 m (1640.4 ft). It is therefore quite hardy but not yet widely cultivated enough to determine its exact resistance capabilities. This species, which has become very rare in the wild, owes its survival only to cultivation. It is a monocarpic perennial plant (dies after fruiting) with tuberous rhizomes. It is a small banana tree, forming numerous shoots at the base, capable of reaching 1.5 m to 1.8 m (4.9 ft to 5.9 ft) in height in our climates. It is remarkable for its ornamental qualities, hardiness, and fast growth. A seed germinated in spring can form a plant of 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in the space of one summer. The leaves are quite large, more fibrous and sturdy than those of banana trees, with a bluish-green colour. The flowering can last from 6 months to a year. The apical bud then produces a dense spike of thick yellow bracts, resembling a lotus flower, carried by a thick stem. The small flowers develop at the base of the bracts. The fertilised flowers give way to small fruits containing seeds that easily germinate when fresh. It is a hardy, evergreen plant in mild climates.

Musella lasiocarpa is used in mass plantings or as a solitary specimen, in containers or in the ground, in any region. It is hardy enough to grow in the ground, with or without protection depending on the climate. It pairs well, for example, with orange cannas or variegated foliage plants. Plant it in a large container as a standalone specimen for a terrace. It can be stored in a cold greenhouse during winter, in a very bright location. In a conservatory setting, it goes well with other orangery plants such as oleanders, citrus trees, Chilean myrtle, mimosas, or Strelitzia reginae.

Just like perennial plants, banana trees are dormant during winter: their above-ground parts dry up and die. Plants shipped in winter are therefore pruned to the ground (leaves and stems) by our teams to allow for a better start in spring.