Ensete ventricosum
(Welw.)Cheesman.
Musaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Ethiopian Banana
Plant growing in Mozambique
Photograph by: Ton Rulkens
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
Plant growing in Mozambique
Photograph by: Ton Rulkens
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
Flowering plant - grown as an ornamental
Photograph by: Rillke
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
The large stem of a cultivated plant in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, Australia
Photograph by: J Brew
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
Flowering stem
Photograph by: Rillke
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Close-up of the flower
Photograph by: Rillke
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
A speciality food in Ethiopia - Galettes de faux bananier (fermented leaves)
Photograph by: Ji-Elle
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
The seeds being used to play the game 'bao'
Photograph by: Scamperdale
Liquid being squeezed from the pseudo-stem is drunk for refreshment
Photograph by: Scamperdale
General Information
Ensete ventricosum is a Evergreen Perennial up to 6.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
N. Africa - Ethiopia.
Habitat
Open mountain forests[
166- Title
- The Milder Garden.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Taylor. J.
- Publisher
- Dent
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Perennial |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Requires a very sheltered sunny position in a fertile moisture-retentive soil[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
This species is not very hardy in Britain but it succeeds outdoors on the Scilly Islands[
134- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
] and is sometimes used in sub-tropical bedding[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Plants can survive light frosts but they require ample shelter from the wind[
166- Title
- The Milder Garden.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Taylor. J.
- Publisher
- Dent
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
]. It should be possible to grow plants in tubs, keeping them outdoors in the summer and bringing them into a greenhouse or conservatory in the winter[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
The leaves can be up to 6 metres long[
188- Title
- The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brickell. C.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-86318-386-7
- Description
- Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
].
Edible Uses
The chopped and grated pulp of the corms and leaf sheaths is fermented and used as a flour in making kocho bread[
134- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
,
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. 100% kocho flour or a mixture of kocho and other cereal flours may be used[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. It is said to taste like a good quality bread[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
].
The endosperm of the seed is consumed as a food[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
The base of the flower stalk is edible cooked[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
A fibre is obtained from the plant[
134- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
].
Propagation
Sow the large seed in individual pots in a heated greenhouse at any time of the year. Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water beforehand[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Germination should take place within 3 months. Grow on the plants for at least a couple of winters in the greenhouse before attempting to grow them outdoors.
Division of suckers in spring. Try to get as much of the sucker's roots out as possible without disturbing the main plant too much. Pot the suckers up and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse until they are established.
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
