Banana (Musa 'Siam Ruby')
Musa 'Siam Ruby' is a striking Banana cultivar featuring deep maroon foliage banded with chartreuse green, ideal for tropical accents.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ is prized by gardeners for its intensely colorful, tropical foliage, setting it apart from common green banana varieties. This herbaceous perennial offers dramatic visual impact with dark maroon stems and leaves splashed or streaked with contrasting chartreuse green. While it rarely flowers and its fruits are not palatable, the aesthetic quality of this Banana cultivar makes it a superb focal point in warm climates or containers.
This selection of Banana reaches heights between 6 to 8 feet, needing consistent care typical of the genus Musa. Successful cultivation relies on providing ample warmth, moisture, and nutrients during the growing season. Gardeners aiming for the deepest coloring on their Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ should ensure it receives full sunlight exposure.
The inherent structure of this plant provides instant tropical flair, perfect for adding dramatic height and color contrast to summer landscapes or patio settings. Understanding its perennial nature, which relies on suckers for survival across seasons, is key to maintaining a thriving stand of Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ year after year.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Musaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 9-11
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 6-8 ft
- Spread: 4-6 ft
- Bloom Time: Seasonal bloomer
- Bloom Description: Cream with cream and purple bracts
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
Planting Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ should occur where soils are organically rich, fertile, consistently moist but well-drained. This Banana thrives in full sun, which encourages the best development of its signature dark red coloration, though it can tolerate part shade or filtered light during intense afternoon heat. Always locate this plant away from areas exposed to strong winds, which can easily tear the large leaves.
Routine care involves diligent attention to moisture and feeding. Maintain consistent moisture levels without allowing the soil to become waterlogged. Fertilize regularly throughout the active growing season to fuel vigorous leaf production. Bananas are typically propagated via suckers, or “pups,” which emerge around the base of the main pseudostem.
Cultivation is easiest in frost-free zones where the plant can be treated as a true perennial. In colder regions (Zone 7-8), you must prepare for winter. Growth ceases below 50°F; trim leaves after the first fall frost. Protecting the tall pseudostem over winter is vital if you wish to see any potential (though often unpalatable) fruit the following year; however, pruning it back lower is acceptable if only foliage display is desired.
Landscape Uses
Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ is highly effective when used as a garden centerpiece, immediately anchoring a space with its vibrant, dark foliage. Its upright, compact habit, reaching up to 8 feet tall and spreading 6 feet wide, makes it suitable for blending into mixed tropical borders or situating near water features for maximum effect.
This striking Banana is also excellent for large container plantings. Growing Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ in pots allows gardeners in marginal zones to easily move the plant indoors when temperatures threaten freezing. When massed near patios, the dark maroon hues provide a sophisticated backdrop that contrasts beautifully with brighter flowering annuals.
Standout Features
Noteworthy Characteristics
Musa is a genus celebrated for both edible fruit production and spectacular tropical foliage. The specific cultivar, ‘Siam Ruby’, offers a compact form (up to 8’ tall) characterized by foliage and stems in dark maroon red, dramatically accented by spots and streaks of contrasting chartreuse green. This selection rarely flowers, and if blooms do appear, the resulting fruits are heavily seeded and unpalatable, emphasizing its value as a purely ornamental Banana.
Flower Qualities
- Cream with cream and purple bracts
Fruit Qualities
- Fruits are heavily seeded and unpalatable
Tolerances
- None listed
Potential Problems
Outdoor plants can face attacks from borers, grasshoppers, and root nematodes. Indoors or outdoors, the Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ is susceptible to various foliage diseases, including mosaic virus, wilt, and anthracnose. Keep a vigilant watch for common tropical pests such as scale, spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs, especially when the plant is grown as a container specimen overwintered indoors. Routine inspection and prompt treatment using horticultural oils or insecticidal soap are recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Banana (Musa ‘Siam Ruby’) suitable for?
This Banana cultivar is reliably hardy in USDA Zones 9 through 11, though Zone 7 and 8 gardeners can overwinter it with protection.
How large does Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ grow?
Mature plants typically reach a height between 6 and 8 feet, spreading between 4 and 6 feet wide.
What sun exposure does Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ need?
For the deepest maroon color, Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ requires full sun exposure, though it can persist in partial shade.
When does Banana (Musa ‘Siam Ruby’) bloom?
This plant is classified as a seasonal bloomer, and any resulting flowers are generally cream-colored, held between cream and purple bracts.
Conclusion
The unparalleled deep red and chartreuse coloring makes Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ an indispensable choice for adding dynamic, tropical drama to any warm-weather planting scheme. As an herbaceous perennial, proper winter protection ensures the survival of this beautiful Banana for years to come. Always check your local USDA zone compatibility before planting your Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ outdoors.
Companion Planting
When planning a tropical display around your Banana, focus on companions that share similar needs for rich, consistently moist soil and bright light. Plants like large-leafed Caladiums or Elephant Ears (Colocasia) offer similar structural drama, though in different color palettes, enhancing the exotic feel provided by the deep tones of Musa ‘Siam Ruby’. Consider pairing it with colorful annuals in containers that can be swapped out seasonally to provide continuous bloom near the base of the tall pseudostem.
Container Growing
Growing Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ in large containers is an excellent strategy, particularly for gardeners outside of Zones 9-11 who wish to overwinter the plant indoors. Use a premium potting mix amended with plenty of compost to satisfy the high nutrient and water demands. Ensure the container has excellent drainage, as bananas hate sitting in standing water. When moving indoors for winter, place the container in the brightest location possible, as light availability is often the limiting factor for indoor growth.
