Zebrina Rojo Red Musa (blood leaf banana, etc.)

[HiwaKika]

Tried searching this site for any info and found no results. That seems impossible. Does anyone grow these? They're not easy to find.

Saw a couple at Green Thumb last year that were rather scrawny but found no others since. Would like to find these in SoCal area.

 

[Hillizard]

And in a similar vein, if anyone knows where seed/plants of this recently discovered, red-flowered, cold-hardy banana relative is available, I'd love to get my hands on some: "Musella lasiocarpa var. rubribracteata, a New Variety from Sichuan, China" : http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/novon/novo-21-03-349.pdf

[KsLouisiana]

Hey! Just started growing one here in zone 9 louisiana.  How is yours?

[HiwaKika]

Cool. A great way to add color and stay tropical without flowers. 

Funny, been seeing these a lot in stores the past couple years. Seems like a once a year thing and they sell out quickly.

I don't have any but I do know they need sun to achieve their best color/contrast and the vivid neon colors are very brief for each new leaf. 

Fast growers like most other bananas. If I see a good one in a store when I have the right vehicle, I'll grab one or some.

 

[KsLouisiana]

47 minutes ago, HiwaKika said:

Cool. A great way to add color and stay tropical without flowers. 

Funny, been seeing these a lot in stores the past couple years. Seems like a once a year thing and they sell out quickly.

I don't have any but I do know they need sun to achieve their best color/contrast and the vivid neon colors are very brief for each new leaf. 

Fast growers like most other bananas. If I see a good one in a store when I have the right vehicle, I'll grab one or some.

 

Yeah they're great! And they stay relatively small for a tighter spot if I'm correct.  I've been seeing them at local garden centers, never Lowes or HD. Im realizing that local garden centers are where it's at.