With bog garden there are some plants that are very typical to be seen. These include cattails and pitcherplants. But there are two good species of banana plants that work very well in the bog garden setting, and these will really bring a good tropical feel to the gardening spot. Basic info is given for each of the banana plants, plus tips on how to grow them. Both are very good choices, one no better than the other.
Musa zebrina, Blood Banana
The blood banana is native to Indonesia. It is a tender plant, evergreen and perennial. They are hardy in the USDA zones from 8 to 11. It does not have edible fruit and is grown simply for the look of it; there are yellow or red flowers as well. The fruit of this particular banana plant is orange. It will want to be in full sun or a partial shade. Blood banana should get to approximately four feet in height. The main thing that is noticeable about this particular banana plant over most that are seen is the red areas on the foliage instead of just the green, there is a redness that is on the underneath of the leaves as well. This creates some very nice light effects in the landscape.
Musa “bajoo”, Bajoo Banana
This is an extremely cold hardy plant and it will just need good sound mulching to get it done. This species can get over fifteen feet tall. This is another one with inedible fruits. It has very broad leaves with a beautiful green, but it is the hardiness that makes this one a prime choice. This plant is good up to a negative 20 degrees. It will need a good base of mulch and to be cut back to a two to three foot spot if it will be around 30 degrees for a length of time. It will grow very slow in the cold but up to two feet a week in the warm months.
Hardy Banana Plants
These two are good choices for the bog garden in that they do well in standing water and areas that have a good bit of water. They are also cold hardy, more so than some bog plants, so they give choices to those that want to bog garden in the northern states. They are tall and spread with long foliage that makes it a beautiful landscape choice. Do keep these two in mind for any water feature and bog garden setting.
