Ensete lasiocarpa (golden lotus banana)

A bee visiting a 'hand' of flowers in the axil of a bract of Ensete lasiocarpa (Image: Wolfgang Stuppy)

Ensete lasiocarpa is a perennial plant with horizontal rhizomes (underground stems). A single plant gives rise to a cluster of ‘stems’, which are 30-80 cm tall and 12-30 cm thick. These 'stems' are actually, as in all other bananas, 'pseudostems' made up of tightly packed leaf sheaths. The yellow flowers are about 1.5 to 3 cm long and produced in conspicuous inflorescences which are borne directly at the apex (tip) of each pseudostem. The flowers are unisexual and female flowers are found at the base of the inflorescence whereas male flowers are produced closer to the apex.

In its native China, the golden lotus banana has been used by local people for centuries. Besides being revered as a sacred plant by Buddhists, it is also used as a vegetable, a resource plant for honey production, pig fodder, weaving material, wine making and for erosion control.

After soaking in water for several hours, the inner parts of the pseudostem can be eaten as a vegetable. Both the pseudostem and the rhizome are rich in starch and are sometimes fermented to make wine.

Grown for its unique and exotic appearance, the golden lotus banana tolerates drier and colder habitats than other members of the banana family. At home in China, the yellow lotus banana blooms all year round, with most flowers occurring from February to August. It survives regular frosts with no ill effect. In the UK it can be grown in zone 9 (hardy to a minimum temperature of -6.8 °C), but lower temperatures might be tolerated if winter protection is provided. The plants are easy to grow in well-drained soil and thrive on high-nitrogen fertiliser, but they are susceptible to spider mite attacks. In Europe, well-fertilised plants kept in heated glasshouses can grow up to 2 m tall.