Musa ornata

ornamental banana

An ornamental banana plant, Musa ornata, showing off its bright pink bracts and yellow flowers against a backdrop of its large leaves, a tiki hut, and one of the garden suites in the center courtyard at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort in Key Largo, Florida

In its native range, the bud of this banana is cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The roots of the plant have been used in Ayurveda, and the ashes of the plant can be ingested to prevent scurvy or serve as a digestive aid. Below is a good video showing how a "banana blossom" is prepared. One can also use the flowers in a salad, but it takes a long time to pick them apart to separate out the inedible parts from each flower.

The plant grows well in mesic soil that doesn't dry out. If the soil's right, chances are your plant will multiply pretty quickly, regularly sending up new sprouts nearby.