Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Red Abyssinian Banana

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'

£17.99
Overwinter under coverSun-lovingEvergreen
Pot size
15cm / 1.5L £17.99

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Description
Few plants deliver instant jungle drama like Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii', the magnificent Red Abyssinian Banana. Often sold simply as ensete maurelii, this is the showstopper of any exotic planting scheme, prized for its enormous paddle-shaped leaves flushed with deep wine-red, burgundy and oxblood tones. Bold, fast-growing and unmistakably tropical, it transforms a sunny patio, courtyard or border into a slice of the tropics in a single summer.

Why grow the Red Abyssinian Banana?

This is one of the most striking foliage plants you can grow outdoors in the UK. Each huge leaf can reach well over a metre long, with an olive-green upper surface and a glowing red-purple midrib and underside that lights up beautifully when backlit by low sun. Unlike a true Musa, this ensete ventricosum maurelii forms a single, stout, swollen trunk rather than a clump, giving it an architectural, almost prehistoric presence. As a focal point or repeated through a hot, exotic border, the red banana plant brings height, lush texture and serious wow factor.

  • Dramatic burgundy-flushed, paddle-shaped leaves
  • Fast, statuesque growth in a single season
  • Superb as a patio container specimen or border centrepiece
  • Pairs beautifully with cannas, colocasia and other tender exotics

To get the best from your ensete ventricosum maurelii in the UK, choose the warmest, sunniest and most sheltered spot you can offer, ideally against a south or west-facing wall and out of strong wind that can tear the leaves. Plant into rich, fertile, moisture-retentive yet free-draining soil or a loam-based compost, and water and feed generously throughout spring and summer to fuel that rapid, leafy growth. In a season it will typically reach 2 to 2.5 m, building to 3 to 4 m over several years in ideal conditions.

Crucially, this is a tender exotic (RHS hardiness H2) and is not frost hardy, so it is best treated as a patio plant that summers outside and overwinters under cover. Before the first frosts, move it into a frost-free greenhouse, conservatory or cool bright room, or lift, trim and store the rootstock, then bring it back out once the danger of frost has passed.

Our plants are nursery-grown and carefully selected for strong, healthy growth and rich leaf colour, ready to make an immediate statement in your garden.

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Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Red Abyssinian Banana

Plant me in full sun and bring me under cover before the frosts.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Red Abyssinian Banana

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' needs full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is frost tender and must come under cover for winter.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Tender (H2): down to around 1°C. Tolerates cool conditions but not frost; protect or bring in over winter.

Tender and frost-sensitive (RHS H2), so not reliably hardy outdoors in the UK. Stand it outside for summer and bring the whole plant, or a lifted and trimmed-back rootstock, into a frost-free greenhouse, conservatory or cool indoor room over winter. Read moreShow less

Tender and frost-sensitive (RHS H2), so not reliably hardy outdoors in the UK. Stand it outside for summer and bring the whole plant, or a lifted and trimmed-back rootstock, into a frost-free greenhouse, conservatory or cool indoor room over winter.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Give it the warmest, brightest, most sheltered spot you have, ideally full sun against a south or west-facing wall, out of strong winds that shred the large leaves. Read moreShow less

Give it the warmest, brightest, most sheltered spot you have, ideally full sun against a south or west-facing wall, out of strong winds that shred the large leaves.

Soil

ClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Plant into rich, fertile, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil or a loam-based compost, and feed generously through the growing season to fuel the rapid lush growth. Read moreShow less

Plant into rich, fertile, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil or a loam-based compost, and feed generously through the growing season to fuel the rapid lush growth.

Watering

Water freely in spring and summer while in active growth, keeping the rootball consistently moist, then reduce watering sharply over winter when growth slows and the plant is kept frost-free. Read moreShow less

Water freely in spring and summer while in active growth, keeping the rootball consistently moist, then reduce watering sharply over winter when growth slows and the plant is kept frost-free.

Mature size

Height2.5-4 m
Spread2-3 m

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen (stays evergreen only when kept frost-free over winter)

Pruning

No routine pruning. Remove only dead or wind-torn leaves; unlike true bananas it does not sucker from the base, so keep the single stem protected or move it under cover before hard frost.

Toxicity

No toxic effects reported; generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Native range

Tropical Africa (Ethiopia and East Africa)

Family

Musaceae

Also known as

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'

Genus

Ensete
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' hardy in the UK?

No, it is a tender exotic (RHS H2) and will be killed by frost. Grow it outdoors for the summer display, then protect it indoors or in a frost-free greenhouse from autumn through to late spring.

How do I overwinter the Red Abyssinian Banana?

Before the first frosts, move container plants into a frost-free, bright, cool room or greenhouse. Larger plants can be lifted, have their leaves trimmed and roots reduced, then be stored almost dry in a frost-free spot until spring.

How big does Ensete 'Maurelii' get?

In a single UK season it can put on impressive growth, reaching around 2 to 2.5 m, and over several years in ideal conditions it can climb to 3 to 4 m with a broad spread of dramatic paddle-shaped leaves.

Can I grow it in a pot on the patio?

Yes, it is an outstanding patio and container plant. A large, heavy pot of rich compost keeps it stable and makes it easy to wheel into shelter for winter, which is the simplest way to keep it year after year.

Does it need full sun?

It performs best in full sun in a warm, sheltered position, which deepens the red and burgundy colouring of the leaves. A spot out of strong wind is essential to stop the large leaves tearing.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'
£17.99