Musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' (Darjeeling banana 'Red Tiger')

Botanical name

Musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger'

Other names

Darjeeling banana 'Red Tiger', Sikkim banana 'Red Tiger', Musa hookeri 'Red Tiger', Hooker's banana 'Red Tiger', Musa sikkimensis 'Manipur', Musa sikkimensis 'Red Flash'

Genus

Musa Musa

Variety or Cultivar

'Red Tiger' _ 'Red Tiger' is a tender, evergreen perennial with large, arching, paddle-shaped, maroon-striped, olive-green leaves, the stems forming a false trunk, and yellow flowers enclosed by reddish-brown bracts.

Native to

Garden origin

Foliage

Evergreen

Habit

Arching, Erect

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Colour

Flower

Yellow, Brown in Summer

Foliage

Variegated, Olive green, Striped in All seasons

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How to care

Watch out for

Specific pests

Aphids , Glasshouse red spider mite , Mealybugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free.

General care

Pruning

No pruning required. Remove spent foliage and cut back in autumn if desired.

Propagation

Sow seed at 21-24C (70-75C) when ripe or in spring. Pre-soak seed for 24 hours prior to sowing. Separate suckers in early spring. Divide clumps every five years.

Propagation methods

Seed, Division, Suckers

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Monthly care advice

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Where to grow

Musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' (Darjeeling banana 'Red Tiger') will reach a height of 4m and a spread of 3m after 10-20 years.

Suggested uses

Architectural, Containers, Greenhouse, Sub-Tropical

Cultivation

Plant outdoors in a frost-free area in rich, moist but well-drained soil, in sun or part shade. In autumn, in the coldest areas of its growing range, remove leaves and protect by constructing chicken wire frames around the trunk. Mulch the roots and fill the wire frames with packed straw. Place straw-filled plastic pots over the trunk tips. Wrap everything with horticultural fleece. For a more decorative look, wrap the fleece with a thatch screen. Alternatively, grow under glass in loam-based compost in full or filtered sunlight. Water freely & feed monthly in growth. Repot every 1-2 years.

Soil type

Chalky, Clay, Loamy, Sandy (will tolerate most soil types)

Soil drainage

Moist but well-drained, Well-drained

Soil pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

Light

Full Sun

Aspect

South, West

Exposure

Sheltered

UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.

Indoor heated (H1), Tender in frost (H3)

USDA zones

Zone 11, Zone 10, Zone 9, Zone 8

Defra's Risk register #1

Plant name

Musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' (Darjeeling banana 'Red Tiger')

Common pest name

Lance nematode; Nematode; Lance

Scientific pest name

Hoplolaimus spp.

Type

Nematode

Current status in UK

Absent

Likelihood to spread to UK (1 is very low - 5 is very high)

2

Impact (1 is very low - 5 is very high)

4

General biosecurity comments

Nematode species potentially affecting a wide variety of crops; prohibition of soil likely to mitigate risk substantially; keep under review in light of interceptions or findings should they occur in the EU.

Defra's Risk register #2

Plant name

Musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' (Darjeeling banana 'Red Tiger')

Common pest name

Stunt nematode

Scientific pest name

Tylenchorhynchus leviterminalis

Type

Nematode

Current status in UK

Absent

Likelihood to spread to UK (1 is very low - 5 is very high)

1

Impact (1 is very low - 5 is very high)

4

General biosecurity comments

Nematode pest mainly in Asia and Africa; could only potentially affect glasshouse crops in UK but no obvious pathway.

Defra's Risk register #3

Plant name

Musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' (Darjeeling banana 'Red Tiger')

Common pest name

Banks glovers; mite

Scientific pest name

Tetranychus gloveri

Type

Mite

Current status in UK

Absent

Likelihood to spread to UK (1 is very low - 5 is very high)

3

Impact (1 is very low - 5 is very high)

3

General biosecurity comments

Limited damage in current area of distribution. Other areas of the EU at higher risk. In UK many hosts but risk depends on likelihood of establishing in protected cultivation.

About this section

Our plants are under greater threat than ever before. There is increasing movement of plants and other material traded from an increasing variety of sources. This increases the chances of exotic pests arriving with imported goods and travellers, as well as by natural means. Shoot is working with Defra to help members to do their part in preventing the introduction and spread of invasive risks.

Traveling or importing plants? Please read "Don't risk it" advice here

Suspected outbreak? Click here for contact details to report to the relevant authority.

Date updated: 7^th March 2019 For more information visit: https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/