Ensete

Family. Musaceae.

Origin: Tropical regions of Africa. 

Description. Ensete is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant. Young seedlings form a basal rosette of leaves, adult specimens form a trunk. This species amazes the imagination with its huge paddle-shaped leaves up to 5 m long. Even indoors, the leaf blades reach 1.5 m in length. There are both plants with green and reddish leaves. It is a monocarpic plant that blooms only once in its life, after which it dies. The inflorescences are very large, 2–3 m long, and bear male and female flowers – burgundy, purple, or, more often, white, cream, and yellow. The fruits are oblong, 8–15 cm long, and inedible.

Height. In the natural environment it reaches 6 m. In room conditions it does not exceed 1.8 m, it develops quickly.

Care at home

Temperature conditions

Warm year-round maintenance at a temperature of 20 - 25°C. In the winter months, a dormant period is not necessary; the room temperature should not fall below 12°C.

Lighting

Very bright lighting with light shading in spring and summer, during daylight hours. The better the lighting, the healthier the plants will look. With good lighting, the leaves acquire a reddish tint. Ensete should receive several hours of direct sunlight daily. 

Care

Trim old leaves at the base to create an attractive appearance.

Substrate

Nutrient soil based on organic matter, containing peat, leaf humus and well-rotted manure. The substrate should have good drainage, for which river sand or perlite is mixed into it. 

Feeding

Ensete requires regular fertilizing with liquid fertilizers in spring and summer, every 2 weeks.

Purpose

A very large species that requires a spacious room to grow.

Flowering time

Does not bloom in indoor culture.

Air humidity

The plant likes high air humidity – place a room humidifier next to it or spray the leaves with soft water at room temperature. 

Soil moisture

Keep the soil evenly moist in spring and summer. Reduce the frequency of watering slightly in autumn, but do not allow the soil to dry out for long periods of time. 

Transplantation

Repot young ensets annually in spring. For large specimens that are difficult to repot, replace the top 5-7 cm of soil with fresh soil.

Reproduction

Propagated by seeds sown in spring. Often propagation is only possible by professionals.

Pests and diseases

The root system rots with excessive watering, especially in autumn and winter. Insufficient drainage also leads to rot. The main pests are spider mites.