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Plants

banana

Musa × paradisiaca L.

Family: Musaceae · Genus: Musa

plantain tree

Placenta II High Mulch biomass 🪓 Coppices after cutting
Photo by David J. Stang · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

Banana is a fast-growing pioneer species valued for cover biomass, edible fruit, and a structuring role in syntropic rows. Grows in any moist, well-drained soil.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Musa sapientum

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta II
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
High
Strata
High, Medium
Biomass class
Mulch biomass

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
High
Drought tolerance
Low
Waterlogging tolerance
None
Soil pH range
5.5–7
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Clayey
Hardiness zones
9–13
Frost tolerance
0.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height
3–7 m
Recommended spacing
1.5–3 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Shallow
Growth rate
Very fast
Lifespan
1–3 years
Time to first harvest
12 months
Productive lifespan
3 years

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Banana takes the High stratum in the Placenta II phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent High · ≈7 m Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Plant in moist, well-drained soil with full sun. Typical syntropic spacing: 2×2 m interleaved with shorter cultivars.

✂️ Management & Pruning

Cut pseudostems after each bunch is harvested — biomass returns to the soil as cover.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: October, November, December, January, February

Fruiting months: December, January, February, March, April, May

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of banana?

The first harvest of banana comes around 12 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for banana?

The recommended spacing for banana is 1.5–3 m.

How tall does banana grow?

At maturity, banana reaches 3–7 m tall.

When does banana fruit?

Fruiting of banana occurs in December, January, February, March, April, May.

When does banana flower?

Flowering of banana occurs in October, November, December, January, February.

What stage and stratum does banana occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, banana belongs to the placenta ii stage, occupying the high stratum.

Functions

🌿 Biomass producer 🪴 Nurse plant 🍎 Fruit

Propagation

Division, Runners / suckers, Tissue culture

Citations

  1. Pasini, F. (2017) in Guimarães & Mendonça (Incaper) , p. 42 (gotsch_stage, biomass_class, primary_stratum)
  2. Agenda Götsch — Life cycle, stratification and succession (gotsch_stage)
  3. POWO — Musa × paradisiaca L. (scientific_author, family, genus, external_ids)
  4. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Musa ×paradisiaca L. (2762752) (external_ids)
  5. ITFNet — Banana Agronomy (ph_min, ph_max, waterlogging_tolerance, root_system, root_depth, water_need, time_to_first_harvest_months)
  6. PFAF Plant Database — Musa x paradisiaca (frost_tolerance_c, hardiness_zone_min, soil_texture_preference)
  7. Joshi et al. (2023) — A review on adaptation of banana (Musa spp.) to cold in subtropics, Plant Breeding (frost_tolerance_c)

External references

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