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| Family | Magnoliaceae. |
| Genus & Species | Michelia figo |
| AKA | Michelia fuscata. Magnolia fuscata. Liriodendron figo. |
| Common Name | Banana shrub. |
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| Size/Shape | Grows to 1-3’ in container. Banana shrub is an woody plant with multiple stems and much branching. Left to itself it assumes a rounded open form reaching 15 ft (4.6 m) in height and almost as wide. Not particularly fast growing. Compact densely branched shrub. Slow-growing to 6 to 10 feet tall and wide. |
| Leaves | The oblong, glossy green leaves are 3-5 in (7.6-12.7 cm) long by 1-2 in (2.5-5.1 cm) high. Narrow, glossy leaves. Michelias shed some leaves all year long, but especially in the spring when the new leaves emerge. Alternate, simple, lustrous dark green leaves; 1.5 to 4" long; become yellowish green in winter. |
| Flowers | 2" creamy yellow and blushed purple flowers. The blossoms are about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in diameter with each of six waxy petals delicately outlined in dark red. Creamy-yellow blooms shaded with purple. Cylindrical fruits, 0.8 to 1.6 inches long (2-4 cm), with red seeds. Michelia buds usually form among the leaves rather than at the tips of the branches. Especially as they get ready to open, they become very brittle and snap off easily, so be careful when touching the tree. A bud at the very end of a branch tends to be a leaf bud, as most flower buds emerge from existing leaf axils. |
| Blooming Season | Blooms all year. Mostly late winter and early spring. Everbloomer. From late spring through the summer. |
| Fragrance | Delightfully sweet, banana-like floral fragrance. Distinctive, sweet banana scent. The fragrant banana scented flowers are fascinating in form and fragrance. Heavily scented. A heavy banana scent. Richly fragrant. The unique perfume, pungent and fruity, has been likened it to a range of fruits: bananas, pears, apples-even mangoes. Richly aromatic floral perfume. Strongly redolent of banana with a slight apple overtone. A haunting scent. When the atmosphere is ideal the fragrance is noticed 50 feet away. A single flower put in a bowl of water will scent a room. The leaves are very fragrant when crushed, reminiscent of lemon verbena. When the twigs and leaves are crushed only a faint fragrance is released. |
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| Propagation | From cuttings during warm weather. Resents being transplanted. Softwood cuttings. Cuttings during warm weather. Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds. Remove fleshy coating on seeds before storing. Hardwood cuttings. |
| Soil | Prefers acid, fertile, well drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Prefers neutral to acid, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Leafmold, osmunda fiber (orchid mix is OK), perlite, azalea/camellia-type potting soil, composted pine needles, and horticultural coconut coir (coir poses far less danger from overwatering than water-retentive peat moss). Mulch michelias with leafmold mixed with their own dropped leaves. Well-drained, acidic, sandy soil enriched with organic matter. |
| Water | Average. Tolerates drought. Soil should be dry. Lots of water during summer. They like humidity. It requires moist soil. |
| Food | Greedy feeders. Feed an acid food in the warmer months. |
| Pruning | May be pruned after blooming, but is most impressive when allowed to grow to natural size and shape. Pruning produces abundant new flowering growth. Can be severely pruned. |
| Light | Full or partial sun. Sun to shade. The shrub assumes a looser more open form when grown in shade. Individuals grown in sunny situations tend to be more compact with denser foliage that is lighter and more yellow green. Useful in shade gardens. Strong afternoon sun in summer is not a good situation for Michelias. |
| Climate | Zone 8 and higher. Minimum temperature 35°. Dislikes high winds. |
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| Source to Buy | Logees plant. |
| http://tinyurl.com/cc5x2 | |
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