All flowers
Banana Shrub Wikimedia Commons
Magnoliaceae

Banana Shrub

Magnolia figo

Sweet memories.

Family
Magnoliaceae
Genus
Magnolia
Native to
China
Bloom season
Spring, Summer
Type
shrub
Height
6-15 ft
Sunlight
full sun to part shade
Soil
rich, acidic, well-drained
Water
moderate
Hardiness
7-10
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Its flowers smell remarkably like ripe bananas, which is how it gets its common name.
  • The plant was formerly classified as Michelia figo before being reclassified into Magnolia.
  • In the American South, it has been a beloved garden shrub since the early 1800s.
  • The small, cup-shaped flowers never fully open, remaining partially closed like magnolia buds.
  • Chinese gardeners have cultivated this plant for centuries, prizing its fragrance near windows and doorways.

Color meanings

0

nostalgia

1

sweet memories

Uses

  • fragrant garden shrub
  • hedge
  • container plant