Golden Lotus Banana (Musella lasiocarpa)

Product description

The golden lotus banana has an overwhelming inflorescence. The yellow flower is about 20 cm big, can bloom for a whole year and spreads a delicious smell that attracts butterflies and bees. In temperate climates the species can be grown as a container plant at a minimum of 5 degC, and can start to bloom after 3 years. If the plant is grown in the garden it may take longer to bloom, because it needs to recover from frost damage. This can be avoided by covering the plant with isolating material and cover the roots with a thick layer of bark.

Originally the golden lotus banana grows in Yunnan in the Himalayas up to an altitude of 2500 meters. There has been some confusion about the classification of the species since 2010. DNA-research has indicated that the species belongs to the genus Ensete, but because all Ensete-species originate in Africa, this seems very unlikely. In any case, the species is closely related to the bananas and is a member of the family Musaceae. Nowadays the golden lotus banana is classified as the sole species in the genus Musella.

Sowing description: Sand the seeds with sanding paper and soak them in lukewarm water for 48 hours. Sow the seeds in sowing mix and keep the soil constantly moist by covering the soil with plastic foil or glass. Let the seeds germinate in a warm spot indoors (for example in the sun or near a heater). Germination can take a few weeks or months, and can still occur as long as the seeds are firm.

Photo 1: RaulBot (CCA-3.0 Wikipedia)